Man who claims he stole gun to kill himself gets 10 year prison sentence

wireready_09-27-2023-09-58-04_00002_toddallengoff072623


A Mountain Home man was given 10 years in prison during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court Monday after pleading guilty to charges in two open criminal cases and having his probation revoked in another.

Fifty-nine-year-old Todd Goff’s latest arrest came July 26. According to the probable cause affidavit, Goff showed up at the residence of an acquaintance and told the man he had no place to stay and needed help.

The man allowed Goff to enter his home and use the shower. He told investigators he was in his shop working while Goff was in the bathroom.

According to the victim, Goff made statements that seemed to indicate he might have been having mental problems.

WEAPON STOLEN

The victim said at one point he remembered that Goff knew where he kept a pistol and he went into the house, moved the weapon and went back to his shop.

The victim said he saw Goff leaving the residence and heard him “mumble something.” He went to check and found the gun was missing.

He told investigators he called out to Goff and asked if he had taken the gun. Goff is said to become upset, asking the homeowner, “are you accusing me of stealing?”

The man said he did not approach because he knew Goff likely had the missing weapon in his possession.

Goff said he was going to meet with his bail bondsman and the victim called the bondsman to make him aware of Goff’s suspected condition.

Goff was said to be aware that the bail bondsman intended to revoke his bond because of actions he had taken.

On July 25, Goff had violated a no contact order taken out by his wife by trying to see her while she was a patient at Baxter Health due to her injuries she sustained in a fight with Goff. Goff was located and ordered to leave the hospital.

Following the incident on July 26, lawmen feared Goff might return to the hospital and began an intensive search for him.

It was discovered Goff had been dropped off at a residence along Old Arkana Road.

When law enforcement officers contacted Goff in that area, it resulted in what was described as a “tense standoff for a short time.” He proved difficult to take him into custody.

He did have the stolen handgun in his possession but did not point it at the law officers. He made comments indicating he wanted to commit suicide by cop.

A stun gun was used on Goff and he was eventually taken to the ground, cuffed and transported to the Baxter County Detention Center. He was placed on suicide watch.

During his sentencing Monday, Goff said he took the gun from his acquaintance’s home “to commit suicide, but couldn’t do it.”

CHARGED WITH ATTACKING WIFE

In another case, he was charged with attacking his wife and a friend of hers after during an argument that started over a gun the wife had removed from the house.

The incident involving his wife occurred on May 29.

Goff’s charges in that incident included three counts of second-degree domestic battering, terroristic threatening, two counts of interfering with emergency communications, and false imprisonment.

FIGHT OVER FIREARM

According to the probable cause affidavit, the argument broke out when the victim would not let Goff have a gun because he is a felon and prohibited from being around firearms.

The wife said she took the gun out of the house May 28 and the violent argument over the weapon took place the next day.

The house in which Goff and his wife had lived as a couple had been sold and the victim and her friend were packing personal property so the new owners could move in.

The victim said she and Goff were “not really living together” but that Goff “was in and out.” On the day of the incident, Goff was alleged to have been at the residence to help with the packing.

The wife alleges because she would not return the gun to Goff, he kicked a hole in a $3,000 painting she had purchased in Greece before her marriage to him.

The wife was initially taken to Baxter Health and then transferred to a hospital in Springfield.

On June 7, Goff’s wife filed an affidavit asking for an order of protection to keep Goff away from her. In her affidavit, she reports Goff had been violent towards her and that she “feared for my life.”

She alleged that during the argument on May 29, Goff “kept charging up to me yelling, screaming and spitting on me.”

Goff is accused of attacking both his wife and her friend who was helping with the packing.

In the probable cause affidavit, Goff is reported to have choked the victim, thrown her against a vehicle more than once and threatened numerous times to kill both the wife and her friend.

The wife alleges that in earlier arguments Goff had choked her, threatened to kill her and to “gut her like a fish.”

THE DRUG CASE

In another case, Goff was taken into custody on drug charges January 9 when a 14th Judicial District Drug Task Force agent and a probation and parole officer went to the residence of Herbert Kasinger along Capewood Drive in Midway.

Kasinger was on active supervision with a waiver on file permitting warrantless searches of person and property.

Goff was reported to be visiting Kasinger when the officers arrived. He first gave his name as Daniel Goff but a check of documents in his wallet showed him to be Todd Allen Goff.

He said he had used a false name because he was also on active supervision by probation/parole and had a warrant out for his arrest.

A search of the camper in which Kasinger lived turned up drugs, including suspected methamphetamine, and paraphernalia used to ingest drugs.

His probation in this case was revoked during Monday’s court session.

WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI