HEART OF DARKNESS
From August 2005 to September 2006, residents of Phoenix lived in fear of a serial killer roaming the streets, terrorizing and striking without warning. Incidents of robbery, assault, kidnapping, and murder wove throughout central and southern parts of the city. The suspect was dubbed the "Baseline Killer" as the initial crimes occured near Baseline Road in south Phoenix. On September 4, 2006, Mark Goudeau was arrested in connection with the "Baseline Killer" crimes. Friends and neighbors described him as a loving husband and friendly neighbor who took pride in the care of his lawn. He was convicted of nine murders and given nine death sentences with more than 60 felony convictions, later upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court in 2016. This project traces the locations in the Phoenix Metro area where these incidents occurred and the timeline in which they unfolded.
On August 6, 2005, three teenagers were forced behind this church in south Phoenix and assaulted. This was the first incident attributed to the Baseline Killer.
August 14, 2005, sexual assault and robbery on East Thomas Road in central Phoenix.
On September 8, 2005, Georgia Thompson was killed in the parking lot of this apartment complex on Mill Avenue in Tempe. She was the first homicide victim in the killings.
September 15, 2005, sexual assault in Phoenix near the neighborhood of Arcadia.
On September 20, 2005, two sisters were assaulted at this park in south Phoenix at approximately 10:30 pm. DNA evidence found on one of the women proved to be the breakthrough in the Baseline Killer case.
September 28, 2005, robbery in Tempe near Arizona Mills mall.
On the same night, September 28, 2005, six miles away, the killer committed sexual assault and robbery near a restaurant in south Phoenix.
On November 3, 2005, wearing a dreadlocks wig and a fisherman's hat, the killer committed robbery at gunpoint at this location in Phoenix.
Ten minutes later, across the street from the robbery, he abducted a woman and assaulted her in this parking lot. The victim described him as wearing a Halloween costume and black plastic glasses.
On November 7, 2005, eleven people were robbed at gunpoint in three separate instances in this parking lot on East Thomas Road in central Phoenix. As the suspect fled, he fired a bullet into the air. Police later recovered the bullet and matched it to Goudeau's gun.
On December 12, 2005, Tina Washington was murdered at this location in south Phoenix. She was on her way home from a nearby preschool where she worked.
December 13, 2005, robbery in south Phoenix.
On February 20, 2006, Romelia Vargas and Mirna Palma-Roman were found shot to death inside their food truck near this location on Lower Buckeye Road in west Phoenix. Police did not connect the murders to the Baseline Killer until July 2006.
On March 15, 2006, two employees of Yoshi's restaurant in central Phoenix, Liliana Sanchez-Cabrera and Chao Chou, were abducted in the parking lot after finishing their shift. Both were found dead within a mile of the restaurant.
On March 29, 2006, the body of Kristin Nicole Gibbons was discovered in this area on 24th Street in central Phoenix.
On May 1, 2006, a woman was abducted in her car and sexually assaulted by a man wearing a latex Halloween mask. The incident occurred at the same location as the robberies from November 7, 2005.
On June 29, 2006, Carmen Miranda was abducted from this car wash on East Thomas Road in Phoenix. The attack was recorded on the car wash's surveillance camera. Police released the video's footage to the media the next day. This was the last homicide attributed to the Baseline Killer.
After repeatedly claiming his innocence and wrongful arrest, despite evidence linked to the crimes found in his home, Mark Goudeau appealed his nine death sentences in October 2015. Goudeau had previously served 13 years in prison related to charges of aggravated assault, rape, and kidnapping. Goudeau's wife, Wendy Carr, has maintained his innocence throughout his arrest, trial, and conviction. Friends and family of Goudeau believe he was framed by the police.
In June 2016, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld the convictions against Goudeau.