Murder suspects indicted

PORT CLINTON — A grand jury recently indicted two Toledo residents accused of killing an 86-year-old Port Clinton man in July. One of the suspects, Shawn M. Gooden, 51, entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity at a court hearing on Monday. On Aug. 13, Gooden was indicted by an Ottawa County grand jury on the following charges: • Three counts of aggravated murder, each an unclassified felony • Two counts of murder, each an unclassified felony • Two counts of aggravated burglary, each a first-degree felony • Two counts of aggravated robbery, each a first-degree felony • One count of theft from a person in a protected class, a third-degree felony • One count of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony • One count of receiving stolen property, a fifth-degree felony Gooden was originally indicted in a separate case in July before being re-indicted in a new case on Aug. 13 relating to the same murder allegations, along with new robbery charges, according to Ottawa County prosecutor James VanEerten. That resulted in his original case — in which he also attempted to enter an insanity plea — being dismissed. Due to Gooden's plea, the court ordered that he undergo "a psychological/psychiatric evaluation" to determine his "mental condition and state of mind" at the time of the alleged charged offenses and to determine his "competency to stand trial," according to court records. It is unknown where the court-ordered psychological evaluation will take place or when it will occur. Gooden's co-defendant, Iesha R. Goodell, 34, of Toledo, was indicted the same day on the exact same charges. As of Wednesday afternoon, Gooden remained in the Ottawa County Jail on a $1 million bond and Goodell also remained locked up in the facility on a $500,000 bond, according to court and jail records. Background Both Gooden and Goodell are charged in connection with the murder of 86-year-old Port Clinton resident Warren Taylor. The investigation into Gooden and Goodell began on July 19, after deputies from the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office responded to a call regarding a deceased person at a home in the 2600 block of E. Harbor Road in Port Clinton, according to a news release from the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office. Deputies identified the deceased as Taylor, and police believe his death was a homicide based on their initial investigation. "The Ottawa County Sheriff's Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Toledo Police Department and the Ottawa County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit," the release states. On July 22, Gooden was taken into custody and booked into the Ottawa County Jail on charges of aggravated murder, murder, aggravated burglary, theft from a person in a protected class, tampering with evidence and receiving stolen property. Goodell was initially arrested on July 24 for one count of receiving stolen property. Both Gooden and Goodell have an upcoming court hearing scheduled for Sept. 12, according to court records.