BEAUFORT, S.C. (WSAV) – A Beaufort man who killed another man in a machete attack will spend the rest of his life in prison, the Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor's Office said.
Michael "Slick" Goode was found guilty Thursday in the death of Rodney Watson, 66, of St. Marys, Georgia. Circuit Court Judge Marvin H. Dukes III handed down Goode's life sentence for murder and five years for a weapon charge.
Michael Goode (provided by the Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor's Office)
He will not be eligible for parole, the solicitor's office said.
The incident happened in July 2020. Prosecutors said Watson was driving to the store with his niece when she recognized Goode, who was in the roadway, and they gave him a ride.
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When they arrived at their destination on Horton Road in Burton, prosecutors said Goode began attacking Watson's niece. As he tried to stop Goode, he "viciously attacked" Watson with a 10-inch machete.
“The victim in this case was simply trying to help someone who looked to be in distress, but instead was met with senseless brutality,” said prosecutor Jared Shedd. “This defendant behaved unconscionably, and both the verdict and sentence are just."
According to the solicitor's office, Goode initially claimed he was elsewhere during the attack, but DNA evidence linked him to the machete. On the witness stand, Goode claimed he was afraid but ultimately did remember his actions.
The solicitor's office found that Goode's criminal history dates back to 1994, including charges of criminal domestic violence and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.