Lawyer Charged in Shooting Deaths of NY Knicks Eddie Curry's Ex Girlfriend and Daughter
A lawyer who allegedly terrorized on-and-off-again girlfriend Nova Henry for two years was charged Sunday with two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of Henry and her infant daughter.
Fredrick Goings, 36, of Chicago has been a chief suspect for police since the slayings on Jan. 24, which, according to court records, was also Goings' birthday. Henry , 24 and her 10-month-old daughter Ava with former Chicago Bulls player Eddy Curry were found shot to death in their South Loop apartment. Henry's 3-year-old son, Noah, (also Curry's child) was found asleep on a chair with blood on his feet and hands.
Her family said Henry moved into the upscale apartment and installed a security system a week before her death in one of her many attempts to flee Goings, whom she met when he represented her in a paternity case against Curry, who now plays for the New York Knicks.
But the relationship was unstable from the start, said Yolan Henry, Nova Henry's mother.
Yolan Henry has said that during the couple's roughest patches, Nova Henry told her parents of frightening run-ins with Goings, such as going to the grocery store or her children's school and finding him there watching her.
In April 2007, Nova Henry obtained an order of protection against Goings that prohibited him from having contact with her and her son after he was alleged to have threatened them, according to court documents. Goings was also charged with domestic battery for allegedly trying to push Henry down the stairs and with phone harassment. Henry got an order of protection, but she dropped both the battery case and the protection order within a month.
When she and Goings were not getting along, Nova Henry talked to her mother about renewing the order, but she never did.
According to court records, Goings appeared in court as a lawyer for Henry in a paternity suit as recently as September. At the time of her death, Nova Henry was receiving $15,000 monthly in child support from Curry. Police said Curry is not a suspect and has been cooperative.
Chicago police at a news conference Sunday would not discuss the dispute that led to the killings.
"Part of the motive was domestic-related," said Detective Lt. Denis Walsh.
Investigators have forensic evidence and surveillance video linking Goings to the "heinous" crime, Walsh said.
After Yolan Henry found her daughter and granddaughter dead, police traced Goings' cell phone to a hotel in LaPorte County, Ind.
Police went to see him the day after the killings but found their attempts at an interview to be unsuccessful, sources said. Goings was charged with trespassing after he refused to leave the hotel. Police said Goings has been spotted in court in his capacity as an attorney several times in the past month.
Walsh said Goings was "partially surprised" by his arrest Friday near a relative's home.
Yolan Henry has had custody of Noah since Jan. 24. She said she has been concerned about the child's safety because he was in the apartment at the time of the killings. Since the slayings, Noah has not been able to attend school or follow his daily routine, she said Sunday.
