Two people involved in separate and unrelated stabbing incidents this week made appearances in Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday and heard the charges against them read, their constitutional rights explained and bond set.
The Rule 8.1 hearing was conducted by Circuit Judge David Laser of Jonesboro, who was sitting in for Judge Gordon Webb who is presiding at a murder trial in Boone County.
A Mountain Home man, 41-year-old Eric Guynes, is being charged with criminal attempt to commit capital murder, first degree battery and reckless burning stemming from a stabbing in the early morning hours of March 21st when Mountain Home Police officers responded to a local business where an individual was being attacked. His bond was lowered from $500,000 to $350,000.
One of the officers saw a man standing outside a vehicle and noticed the man’s neck was “spurting blood.” It was learned from the victim an unknown male had approached him and asked if the victim knew him. The victim told the male he was not acquainted with him and turned away. The victim then said he was hit in the back of the head and had been stabbed. He stated the suspect then attempted to set him and his car on fire. While being transported to the hospital, the victim was able to give officers a description of the suspect and the vehicle he was driving.
A be-on-the-lookout (BOLO) bulletin was broadcast for the vehicle and suspect, and a short time later officers were advised a man was attempting to steal a person’s car. Officers were eventually able to stop and arrest two males. One of the men, later identified as Guynes, fit the description by the victim of the stabbing as the person who attacked him. Officers saw what appeared to be blood on Guynes’ pants and recovered a pocket knife with blood on it in Guynes’ pants pocket. A set of keys were found inside Guynes’ vehicle.
In a follow-up interview with the victim, it was learned he was hit from behind dazing him as he entered his vehicle. A large block was then smashed through the window of the car, and he was hit in the side of the head. He was then dragged from the vehicle, stabbed several times in the back and his throat was slashed. The victim said he was somehow able to get back into his vehicle where he played dead. During the incident, Guynes set fire to the inside of the car. While processing the evidence, investigators were able to determine the victim was stabbed seven times in the back.
As he stood at the podium while Judge Laser read the charges and explained his rights, Guynes looked down and slightly shook his head from side-to-side. He said little during his appearance.
Judge Laser ordered Guynes to reappear in circuit court on April 12th.
In the second case, a woman, 42-year-old Melissa Goodman of Midway, also had an 8.1 hearing in which she heard of the charges lodged against her as the result of an incident on March 21st in which she is alleged to have stabbed her husband. Actually at one point, Goodman referred to the man she stabbed as her husband even though they “were not married.” She said they had been together 20 years and were very much in love.
The stabbing incident in Midway began when a Baxter County deputy sheriff was called to an address on State Highway 126 North in response to a report of a stabbing.
When the deputy arrived at the address, Goodman initially denied the officer entry into the home. She finally allowed the deputy in, and he found the victim sitting in a chair holding his leg and blood soaking through his jeans. The deputy observed a knife clipped to Goodman’s right front pocket, found the knife to have blood on it and took it into evidence.
During her appearance in circuit court Thursday, Goodman said her “husband” had come home after a long day’s work of crushing cars, was tired and in a bad mood. She told the court the couple argued back and forth and the knifing occurred. The “husband” told officers his wife had pulled the knife from her pocket, started waving it around and began stabbing the man in the leg.
Goodman is being charged with aggravated assault of a family or household members. Judge Laser set her bond at $7,500. He asked Goodman if she had the money to make the bond, and she said she was ill and had been unemployed for some time. She said her “husband,” the stabbing victim, would provide the funds to make her bond. Judge Laser said he intended to impose a no-contact order, which is normal in cases of this type. Goodman said she had no place to go but to the residence she shares with her husband. Judge Laser was informed a parole hold was being placed on Goodman, and she would not immediately need a residence other than the county jail.
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