MINOT – Judge Todd Cresap gave a seven-man, five-woman jury preliminary instructions Tuesday morning in the double trial of Mathew Anderson, 35, Minot, charged with AA felony Murder-Extreme Indifference; and Regina Goodale, 34, Minot, charged with AA felony Accomplice to Murder-Extreme Indifference. The trial in North-Central District Court is expected to last into next week.
The basis of the case is that it is alleged Goodale requested that her husband, Wade Goodale, be beaten up. Whitney Racine, described in court as a “best friend” of Regina Goodale, earlier pled guilty to her participation in setting up the February 24, 2022, incident that led to the victim’s death and was sentenced to 18 months in the State Penitentiary.
Wade Goodale died as a result of a gunshot wound which the state maintains from a gun fired by Anderson and whom the state contends was in a relationship with Regina Goodale.
Cresap told the jurors that both defendants had earlier pled “not guilty”, adding that “You have the right to determine what witnesses you will believe.”
In her opening statement to the jury, State’s Attorney Rozanna Larson told jurors that Regina Goodale wanted out of her marriage and that the “defendant induced the crime to be committed.”
Robert Hartl, Anderson’s court appointed attorney, followed Larson’s opening statement by telling jurors that, “It will be confusing as to who was on the scene” and that the murder may have been committed by a person other than Anderson.
Regina Goodale’s court appointed attorney, Steven Mottinger, also addressed the jury, telling them that Regina Goodale “has a right to a fair trial and is presumed to be innocent.
“Nobody is going to challenge that Wade Goodale was shot,” said Mottinger. “We are all in this together. The goal is to give these folks a fair trial. Now let’s go to work.”
With that closing remark the first of many witnesses was called to the stand.
