Dismembered body of Melody Fae Gooch (57) found at S. Dakota truck stop

[puzzld]

A Detroit truck driver has been arrested for the grisly killing of a woman whose remains were found scattered Monday at the Mitchell, South Dakota, Interstate 90 Travel Center.

According to South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley and the Mitchell Police Department, Anthony Harris, 60, was arrested in Washington state and has been charged with second-degree murder and improper disposal of a body in the death of 57-year-old Melody Fae Gooch of Detroit.

According to court documents, Gooch was run over several times by an 18-wheeler, and her body was dismembered and stashed under several pallets at the travel center.

Gooch?s family told police that Harris and Gooch had been together before she was murdered, according to court documents.

When police contacted Harris? trucking company, Transfinity Logistics, they offered up his logbook reports, which showed that he traveled 22 miles east/northeast of Mitchell at approximately 6:50 p.m. on Sunday, March 10, and shut down at 7:05 p.m.

The logbook showed he was at the same location of the Travel Center parking lot at the time of the alleged crimes.

Details of Gooch?s killing are horrific.

Court documents state that Mitchell police arrived at the scene after someone called to report that human entrails were found in the travel center?s parking lot, along with significant blood spatter consistent with someone who had been struck by a large vehicle then dragged away. Her head was later found in in a bag at the scene.

Police obtained video from the travel center and saw a semi-truck moving suspiciously in the parking lot for about a half-hour.

The truck was seen leaving the area at about 6:06 p.m. and heading westbound on I-90.

Police say Harris was found in the same big rig that was caught on camera at the truck stop.

?We were able, through additional good police work, looking at videos, further efforts, including working with officials from other states, make a determination and arrive to a point where we were able to, (Thursday), get search warrants, arrest warrants and ultimately put suspect Anthony Harris in custody,? Jackley told the Mitchell Republic.

People who may have known or seen the deceased in the Mitchell area between Saturday, March 9, and Monday, March 11, are asked to call the Mitchell Police Department at (605) 995-8400.
https://www.thetrucker.com/trucking-...-dismemberment

[KimTisha]

This is horrific. WTF?!

She has 12 FB pages, this appears to be her most recent.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552350302260

Rest in peace, Melody Faye...

[Bewitchingstorm]

Very sad.

[Boston Babe 73]

WTAF. It sounds like she wasn't even known to him. What kind of motive would you have to do this kind of thing? It's one thing to run over someone, another to try to stuff them under pallets and put their head in a bag. So terrible. That poor woman

ETA: I bet he was on Meth. Truck drivers are notorious for being Meth Heads.

[Nic B]

WTAF. It sounds like she wasn't even known to him. What kind of motive would you have to do this kind of thing? It's one thing to run over someone, another to try to stuff them under pallets and put their head in a bag. So terrible. That poor woman

ETA: I bet he was on Meth. Truck drivers are notorious for being Meth Heads.

This makes me think they did know each other:

Gooch?s family told police that Harris and Gooch had been together before she was murdered

[puzzld]

South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley and Davison County State?s Attorney Jim Miskimins have announced that based on a further review of the evidence, including the forensic pathologist autopsy results, the appropriate charge in South Dakota is Improper Disposal of a Body in connection with a female that was found deceased March 11, 2024 in Mitchell.

Anthony Harris, 60, of Detroit, MI had been charged with Second-Degree Murder and Improper Disposal of a Body in the death of Melody Fae Gooch, 57, of Detroit, MI. Her body was discovered at the Mitchell I-90 Travel Center. Harris was detained in Washington State and later extradited back to South Dakota. As set forth in the affidavit of probable cause based on collected evidence, Harris was charged with both Second-Degree Murder and/or Improper Disposal of a Body in the death of Ms. Gooch.

The final autopsy report, which was received Wednesday, indicates that the cause of death was an accidental drug overdose, and that the death did not occur in South Dakota. The autopsy specifically lists cause of death to be combined drug toxicity due to Buprenorphine, Fentanyl, and Cocaine, and that the manner of death to be accidental.

The final autopsy report further indicates that the blunt force injuries sustained by Ms. Gooch when she was run over at the truck stop did not occur while she was alive. Additional evidence did not indicate that Ms. Gooch was alive in South Dakota.

Prosecutors Friday afternoon filed a dismissal of the Second-Degree Murder charge in Davison County Circuit Court. Harris remains charged with Improper Disposal of a Body in South Dakota. Michigan state officials will now determine if he will face additional charges in that state.

Attorney General Jackley and State?s Attorney Miskimins want to thank the different local and state agencies who were involved in this investigation.

https://kmit.com/news/236632-murder-...y-in-mitchell/

[Angiebla]

How is he charged with Second Degree Murder when she OD'd?

[puzzld]

How is he charged with Second Degree Murder when she OD'd?

They thought she died because he ran over her with his semi. After the autopsy, they dropped the murder charges, at least in South Dakota, because they think she was dead before she got here. Once they decide which jurisdiction she died in I expect more charges. Maybe murder, maybe something less. After all Kathy Smith Got charged with murder in Belushis death. She was eventually convicted of involuntary manslaughter.

[Boston Babe 73]

They thought she died because he ran over her with his semi. After the autopsy, they dropped the murder charges, at least in South Dakota, because they think she was dead before she got here. Once they decide which jurisdiction she died in I expect more charges. Maybe murder, maybe something less. After all Kathy Smith Got charged with murder in Belushis death. She was eventually convicted of involuntary manslaughter.

Exactly. If he supplied her with the drugs and they can somehow prove that he knew that she was overdosing and did nothing, then that charge will stick.

[Boston Babe 73]

Double