52 year old Steven Goodson of Chappell Hill was sentenced to 40 years after he was found guilty of armed robbery of a Bryan convenience store that took place in September of 2018.
Goodson was captured the day of the robbery, according to the district attorney’s office, with the help of a GPS tracking device that the convenience store clerk placed with the stolen money.
The seven year delay between the robbery and the trial was in part due to additional charges of jumping bail and failing to appear in court. A trial date has not been set on the additional charges.
News release from the Brazos County district attorney’s office:
Steven Goodson, 52, was found guilty of Aggravated Robbery and sentenced to a total of 40 years in prison.
A Brazos County jury convicted Goodson of Aggravated Robbery on Wednesday, October 15, and assessed punishment at 40 years.
Goodson was arrested September 19, 2018 and charged with Aggravated Robbery. The Bryan Police Department responded to the Valero on Earl Rudder after receiving a robbery alarm call. The 22 year old Valero clerk informed officers that Goodson put a gun in her back and demanded money. The clerk gave officers a detailed description of the robber including the gun used to threaten her, the skeleton mask, and plaid jacket the suspect was wearing. The clerk also managed to slip a GPS tracking device in with the money being stolen from the Valero. This allowed the responding officers to locate Goodson driving his red Camaro at an intersection nearby.
After a brief vehicle pursuit, Goodson abandoned his vehicle in a cul-de-sac and hid in a wooded area nearby for over two hours while multiple agencies including Bryan Police Department, College Station Police Department, and Texas Department of Public Safety assisted in the manhunt. A DPS helicopter was deployed and eventually located Goodson hiding in a residential yard. Officers pursued Goodson on foot until he was apprehended. Goodson’s Camaro contained evidence from the robbery, including the skeleton mask, plaid jacket, and a loaded .45 caliber firearm.
Goodson had two prior prison trips, one for Burglary of a Building in 1993 in Washington County, and another for Aggravated Robbery of a convenience store in 2010.
During the trial, jurors heard from the victim, store management, and several Bryan Police Department officers about the surveillance footage, apprehension of Goodson, and the evidence collected.
Goodson was found guilty on Wednesday morning after closing arguments. The jury then heard punishment evidence that afternoon and delivered their sentence.
Statement from Brazos County assistant district attorneys Brian Baker and Jordan Jordan: “When a person is willing to threaten the life of another human being over money, they must go to prison. The jury reinforced that our community will respond when a defendant devalues life and places us all in danger.”