(DOTHAN, Ala.) – (WDNews) A murder trial is underway this week at the Houston County Courthouse for 38-year-old Cierra Lushawnda Goodson, one of six people charged in the 2021 killing of 56-year-old Hardy Lynn Gray.
The case is being heard in the courtroom of 20th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Butch Binford. If convicted, Goodson could face the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Investigators with the Houston County Sheriff’s Office arrested six individuals in connection to Gray’s death: Goodson, Mykeila Rowser, Elijah Hazell, Tyshawn Ford—who was a minor at the time—and two other unnamed juveniles.
The murder occurred on November 30, 2021, and authorities have described it as a violent and coordinated act. Over the course of the investigation, each suspect faced varying degrees of charges related to Gray’s death.
Court records show Mykeila Rowser accepted a plea deal on September 6, 2023, which required her to testify against her co-defendants. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop the capital murder charge. Rowser was later sentenced to 15 years in prison on November 20, 2023.
The trial for Goodson is expected to continue through the week as witnesses are called and evidence is presented. WDNews will provide updates as the court hearing continues.
