Toledo woman sentenced for role in 86-year-old's murder

PORT CLINTON — A judge sentenced a Toledo woman on Monday for her role in the July murder of an 86-year-old Port Clinton man. Iesha R. Goodell, 34, was convicted on one amended count of involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony; one count of aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony; and one count of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony. James Bates, a visiting retired Lucas County Common Pleas Court judge, sentenced Goodell to serve a term of 20 to 25-and-a-half years in prison, according to court records. Goodell withdrew her former not guilty plea and pleaded guilty to the three felony charges on Nov. 25 in exchange for nine additional felony charges to be dismissed, including aggravated murder, with the agreement that Goodell would "fully cooperate in the prosecution of her co-defendant, Shawn M. Gooden, including providing honest testimony if necessary." As a result of Goodell's plea, both parties agreed to a recommended prison sentence of 20 to 25-and-a-half years, according to her guilty plea form. Goodell's co-defendant Gooden, 52, of Toledo, died on Dec. 11 of natural causes and was being treated at a Toledo-area hospital for ongoing medical issues at the time of his death, according to Ottawa County prosecutor James VanEerten. Goodell additionally received credit for approximately five-and-a-half months served in jail and will be placed on a mandatory term of five years post-release control, court records state. Background The investigation into both Gooden and Goodell began on July 19, 2025, 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 Warren Taylor, and police believe his death was a homicide based on their initial investigation. 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. On Aug. 13, Goodell, along with her co-defendant, Gooden, were indicted by an Ottawa County grand jury on the following charges relating to their roles in the murder of Taylor: • 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