June 13, 2009
Did The Doctor Kill The Doctor?
A 48 Hours Mystery Exclusive
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Play CBS Video Video Did The Doctor Kill The Doctor? Is Dr. Timothy Stryker a calculating murderer or an innocent man trying to clear his name? Richard Schlesinger reports.
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Video More From DA Gerry Leone Hear District Attorney Gerry Leone speak at the arraignment of Timothy Stryker and Richard Chambers.
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Video More From The Medical Examiner Medical examiner Dr. Stanton Kessler talks about the murder of Dr. Linda Goudey.
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Dr. Linda Goudey and Dr. Timothy Stryker (CBS)
As soon as he could, Stryker asked for a new trial in an attempt to clear his name and get out from under the crushing $15 million court order.
Stryker says he had never met Pizzano before, nor given him any money. "I have not given Craig Pizzano any money or anything else that would in any way encourage him to come forward."
Asked if he was involved with him coming forward at all, Stryker says, "In no way."
And that is an outright, bold-faced lie according to prosecutors. In fact, they say Pizzano was never in the parking lot that night and never saw Goudey or a tall blond man, even though he said he did in a sworn affidavit. So now there’s a whole new chapter in this case.
"The affidavit was an utter and complete lie. It's a story. It's a story that was created by Tim Stryker," Leone says.
Leone says investigators began pulling apart Pizzano's statement soon after they read it, and discovered cell phone records that showed the two men had started talking months earlier.
When prosecutors confronted Pizzano, he admitted he lied. He refused to talk to 48 Hours, but told Leone Stryker put him up to it. Pizzano got immunity from prosecution, but Stryker was not so lucky. He was arrested and hauled into court.
He was charged with perjury. It's not murder, but it is a felony, and he could get more than 20 years if convicted. And this time it wasn't civil court - it was criminal court.
Stryker plead not guilty.
Leone says Stryker made up the story and recruited Pizzano through a middleman, one of his patients named Richard Chambers.
Chambers was also arrested, and at a pre-trial hearing, Leone laid out the details of an elaborate scheme. "Chambers continuously met and talked with Pizzano. During these meetings, he would show him maps and diagrams, which would show how he supposedly went from a bar, drinking, the night of September 30th, the parking lot," Leone said.
What would Pizzano and Chambers get in return?
"The initial promise is that Chambers and Pizzano will receive several thousands of dollars. However, that comes with a pretty tight caveat, and that is Stryker tells them, 'You'll get your money, but only when I'm out from under the civil judgment, because my money is tied up in the civil judgment and the civil suit,'" Leone says.
Leone charges Pizzano and Chambers also got prescription pain pills and anti-depressants in return for their help. "Pizzano has provided those drugs to authorities, and the lot numbers on those drugs are tracked from a salesman to the pharmaceutical company to Dr. Timothy Stryker," Leone says.
Stryker says the DA threatened Pizzano with a lengthy prison sentence to get him to change his story. Leone denies that and says Pizzano volunteered to tell him what prosecutors now believe is the truth.
Asked how he knows when the guy is lying, Leone says, "Well, Craig, ultimately Craig will swear to tell the truth, and he'll tell the truth. But, he'll also in swearing to tell the truth tell the fact that he lied as well."
But Pizzano never took the stand. On April 16, 2009, Timothy Stryker pleaded guilty to multiple counts of perjury and was sentenced to four years in prison. For the Rafuse family, justice for Lin Goudey's death could now be within reach.
"We are hopeful that Dr. Stryker will spend the rest of his life in jail, not just four years, and that an indictment for homicide will be forthcoming some time in the future," Altman says.
Whatever happens to him, Stryker will face the future without the one person who stood by him and believed in him. Michal, his wife of 14 years, has filed for divorce.
"This plea today by Tim Stryker may close a chapter, but the book remains open in this case and I will continue to handle the homicide investigation personally," says Leone.
Leone made a promise to Goudey’s family 16 years ago when he was the young assistant DA: he promised he would get the person who killed her. He still stands by that promise.
Produced by Deborah Grau
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See all 28 CommentsWhich law school did you graduate from? Do not denigrate others who disagree with you. I assure you I have probably three more degrees than you, but you are welcome to your deluded opinion. You belong with the jurors on the OJ trial who did not have a clue.
Nothing a good waterboarding session wouldn't cure though.
Carry on ....................
Dr. Stryker is a pschopath. His non-chalant demeaner and soft spoken voice is only a cover for his inner demons. Now in prison for perjury, perhaps the police and investigators will find enough evidence to put him away for murdering his girlfriend. How stupid can someone be to lie and make up a story about someone else committing the murder years later. He lied to everyone on tv about this. No evidence found clearly shows how a doctor knew what he was doing; he used surgical gloves to choke her. When someone says they don't want to go on a vacation, get the clue doctor. You can't force anyone to do what you want. With no more control left over her, he kills her and goes off on a vacation by himself anyway. This is what psychopaths are all about; no feelings or remorse for their actions. Did you see him cry on tv at all? Did you see him get mad and determined to find the "real" killer? No, instead we had to listen to his soft, calculating voice and listen to his lies. See how he turns things around during the interview; I didn't say that, they must have said it differently. Even a doctor can make stupid mistakes. But this guy won't be able to lie himself out of this one.
CSI-lover
In response to an earlier comment about what kind of person would ask at a strangers car for a condom, a drunk and lusty 18 year old would.
The scenario is that of a high strung male, very controlling, who has to deal with a headstrong female. Initially, he may be in control, with his partner infatuated. But when that wears off, and his power over the other person dwindles, he may lash out in a violent and tragic way.
A few notes on forensics. When Dr. Stryker was apprehended, did the police look for marks on his hands or body indicating a struggle during the strangulation? Were there any drugs in the victim's system (such as an anethesic or something to keep her from struggling)?
There was no mention of relationships the woman may have had outside their relationship. That is the kind of trigger that would set off the male in a violent way.
Also, I didn't hear about Stryker's 'alibi'. Where was he on the night of the murder? Any witnesses?
Where did the carpet or material that the body was wrapped in come from? Was it something from Stryker's apartment as well..or something that could have been traced with recipients, or found in a local store?
I thought that the real tragedy may have been the chemistry between two headstrong "beaultiful people"...however, they mentioned that Stryker had a history of violence towards his partners.
Thank GOD family was persistent and won their civil case, if not he might have actually gotten away with it.
What a snake, just like OJ Simpson!! He had not one once of remorse and neither does this killer!! Nor any intention of paying the family one cent of his judgement. Lucky for the family his greed got the best of him and now he will go to jail! GREED IS EXPENSIVE!! I hope now that he was caught with his pants down, the prosecutor can put a solid case againest him for the murder. It's pretty obvious he killed her.
Did anyone notice how emotional his wife suddenly got when the lawyer was describing how Striker choked the life out of his girlfriend. That lawyer was great!! he was so descriptive and made it so real, that it woke up his wife to the REALITY that he did killed her, that was what made her so emotional and forced her into a emotional breakdown.. Finally she got her head out of the sand!! Now after he lost and won't have any money and of course getting caught trying to conspire and con his way out of paying, is pretty difficult for her to try sugar coat. finally she is divorcing him. WOW, she sure needed a bat to wake her up, jeeze woman..
He is a liar and of course he murdered his girlfriend. obviously he lost is cool and strangled her. who else would want to? he is a true sociopath, he has the emotion of a fish. Finally he getting his just deserve. I was glad to see he lost his medical license, what a hideous person and too bad his second wife had children with him, she must be one very desperate stupid woman, but it's difficult to put your hed in the sand when the truth i blaring right at you, talk about denial. she is just lucky she did't **** him off..
This physician reminded me of Hill.
He won me over. I didn''t think he killed his wife. That is until the end of 48 Hrs. How stupid of him to even think of hiring anyone to lie for him. It shows how manipulative he really is.
His new wife is as blind as a bat too. Who knows what kind of Love it is huh?
And like who is going to believe that?
Who is going to walk up to some strangers car and ask for a condom???
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