Murder In The Fast Lane

A Woman Seeks Justice For The Murder Of Her Brother And Sister-In-Law

(CBS)  For five days the jury deliberates. Finally, there is a verdict: guilty of first degree murder.

"I touched Elena on the arm and I told her I’m sorry cause she worked so hard on this," Goodwin says, recalling the moment he heard the verdict. "And I said I didn’t do it. And I didn’t. I mean I'm looking at 30 years in a cage. I’m sorry."

While defense attorney Elena Saris was "deeply shocked and saddened" by the verdict, Mickey's son Danny told reporters, "It’s a great feeling. This doesn’t bring my dad back, but there’s some justice here."

It’s was a tough case all around. For prosecutors and police, not a single piece of physical evidence to tie Michael Goodwin to the Thompson murders. Their case and their hopes were that Goodwin would be done in by his own big mouth, his ego, his anger, his threatening words-words at least one witness will never forget.

"It was just the totality of all the evidence is what did it," says Bill Wilson, who thinks jurors rendered the right verdict.

The jury heard a parade of witnesses like Wilson, the ex-cop for whom that one phrase echoed like a shot.

"And as a former cop, how did you interpret those words 'I'm gonna take him out?'" Lagattuta asks.

"Well, I'm going to kill him, there’s no question," Wilson says.

There was no DNA, no phone calls, and no hard evidence. Still, for the juror's 48 Hours spoke with there was also no question.

"Well obviously we believe he meant the threats," one juror told Lagattuta.

Asked what kinds of witnesses helped them make their decision, a juror said,
"We counted, I believe 15, people that testified about either hearing a threat, or being the target of a threat."
"Twelve people sat in judgment. And twelve people voted guilty," Lagattuta remarks to Goodwin.

"Without half the evidence that they should have seen, Bill," Goodwin replies.

Asked if he thinks he got a fair trial, Goodwin says, "Absolutely not."

Goodwin and his defense team insist the jury never got to hear their claim that Mickey had other enemies. "We were not able to present the other suspects to the jury, we were not able to present the other theories of the crime, any other person that may have had a vendetta against Mickey Thompson," Saris explains.

"Find one other case in this country one other case. Where there’s been a conviction where they didn’t identify the killers. Apprehend the killers. Or tie a meeting or a payment or something linking the person that got convicted. In this case me. To the people that got killed. Didn’t happen. And the judge instructed them they could do that," Goodwin says.

The trial may be over, but the investigation into the murders isn’t done yet, and that means his sister won’t be resting anytime soon. "We still want these people, they are killers," she told reporters.

And Det. Lillienfeld says he won't be resting either. "This case is not over me, it’s still an active open investigation and I hope someday that the information comes forward where we’ll be able to identify and prosecute the actual gunmen," he says.

As Mickey Thompson was ripped from his racing throne, now Goodwin’s fall is also complete. All that’s left is talk-something everyone agrees-Mike Goodwin was always a champion at.

"As we sit here, in this jail, after your conviction, you’re still telling me you’re completely, 100 percent innocent of these murders?" Lagattuta asks.

"Well, I’m either 100 percent or zero. It’s no where in between. I’m a 100 percent not guilty of these murders. No connection to them," he says.

"He will die saying 'I'm an innocent man.' And, you know, he’s as evil as they get," Collene says.

For a racing family, winning is everything and while speed was Mickey's claim to fame, it was his sister’s endurance that won the day.

"Checkered flag is the symbol of winning the race and we've been in a long endurance race and we finally crossed the finish line and the winner gets the checkered flag and Mickey knows that," Collene says.

---

Michael Goodwin was sentenced to two consecutive life terms with no chance for parole.

Goodwin plans to appeal because the judge refused to allow any evidence about other possible suspects.

The L.A. County Sheriff's Department recently released updated drawings of the alleged gunmen.