Police Charge Man in "Baseline Killer" Murders

After a reign of terror, the "Baseline Killer" has finally been caught and charged in Phoenix. On January 16, 2007, a man suspected as being the "Baseline Killer" was indicted on 74 felony charges, nine of which were murders in the Phoenix area.

Mark Goudeau was being held since September as a suspect in two sexual assault cases. Goudeau was indicted with 15 counts of sexual assault and 11 counts of kidnapping, in addition to the murder charges. The sexual assault and kidnapping charges follows a crime spree by Goudeau which occurred between August 2005 and June 2006.

Goudeau is an ex-convict who was working as a construction worker in Maricopa County. Goudeau had been held since September in connection with two sexual assaults which were credited to the Baseline Killer. Once the connection was made, the police did not proclaim him as the Baseline Killer, but sought to build a case against Goudeau and they have succeeded.

Following a long investigation, police were finally able to tie Goudeau directly to the killings. Last month police had collected and analyzed DNA and ballistic evidence which strongly implicated Goudeau in the killing spree, prompting the charges.

The police had originally said the Baseline Killer case had included eight murders. In December, police had publicly announced a ninth murder. All of the Baseline Killer's victims were women, but one. Most of the victims were killed while going about their daily business, such as going home from work or waiting for a bus.

When the news of the Baseline Killer went public, police had stated he usually wore disguises, one of which was a wig of dreadlocks and a fisherman's hat. The Baseline Killer would normally attack at night. The name given to the killer comes from the street name, in Phoenix, where some of the earliest crimes took place. Half of the attacks took place within three miles of Goudeau's home he shared with his wife. One of the murders took place just around the corner.

Goudeau, paroled in 2004, had served thirteen and a half years in prison for three aggravated assaults, armed robbery, and kidnapping. At one time, he blamed his crimes and history of violence on an addiction to crack.

The Baseline Killer was one of two different serial killer cases that terrorized the Phoenix area for several months. In August, police had arrested two roommates in the Serial Shooter case. The roommates are accused of riding around the city and suburbs at night and randomly shooting people from their car. Seven people where killed in the Serial Shooter case. The roommates are awaiting their trial.