Lawrence Goodine
A trial has been set for next Sept. 8 in the case in which former Chattanooga Police officer Lawrence Goodine is charged with murder.
Judge Barry Steelman is presiding over the case in which Goodine girlfriend Kara Akins, 48, was the victim in the incident Nov. 29, 2023.
A Ring video played in court earlier showed Goodine pushing Ms. Akins she pleaded for him to stop. She was later found dead in her apartment in the 2600 block of Carr Street.
Goodine, who was 43 at the time, is facing charges of first-degree murder and especially aggravated kidnapping.
General Sessions Court Judge Gary Starnes earlier kept him on the same $3,050,000 bond, calling him "a danger to the community" and a flight risk.
The Ring video was from a neighbor's porch that caught the fight outside Ms. Akin's unit.
Ms. Akins could be heard saying "Stop!" 10 times, "Lawrence!" four times, and "Why are you doing this?" three times.
Goodine had told police that he and Ms. Akins went for cigarettes and she went missing. He said he later found her and it appeared she was high on drugs. He said they went to her unit, had sex, then he woke up and found her unconscious.
However, the autopsy showed that the mother of seven had been strangled and she had bruises all over her body and blunt force injury to the head. There was no sign of drugs in her body.
Blood was found on a living room carpet and couch. Goodine's wallet was also located in the apartment.
Goodine, while on the police force, was charged with perjury and theft, but he was found not guilty in a trial in 2008. He was not given his police job back.