Arthur Frederick Goode III

Who is Arthur Frederick Goode III?

Arthur Frederick Goode, III was a convicted child murderer who was electrocuted in Florida in 1984.

Goode, who was borderline mentally retarded, began to show the behavior of a pedophile in his teenage years and got into trouble with the law early, but was always released when his parents deposited bail. In mid-1975, after several reprobations of child abuse, Goode was sentenced to five years of probation under the condition of psychological treatment at Spring Grove Hospital Center in Baltimore. Goode admitted himself to the treatment for several months but then left the institution and journeyed to St. James City, Florida where his parents had moved.

On March 5, 1976, Goode committed the murder for which he was to be executed. In Fort Myers, he happened upon 9 year old Jason VerDow, lured him into the woods, abused and then strangled him. Then he traveled back to Baltimore where he abducted 10 year old Billy Arthes and took him to Washington, D.C.. There he met 11 year old Kenneth Dawson and took both boys with him on a bus trip to Falls Church, Virginia, where he murdered Dawson with Arthes being present. Goode was apprehended by the police after a woman had recognized Billy Arthes. On being arrested, Goode told the officers: "You can't do nothing to me. I'm sick."