U.S. Open Referee Charged With Killing Husband in L.A. to Face Murder Charge
Documents say she messaged another man about "terminating a relationship."
Aug. 24, 2012— -- New court documents obtained by ABC News say that the 70-year-old tennis referee accused of killing her California husband with a coffee cup sent emails to another man, messages that reportedly mentioned "terminating a relationship."
The documents, including a police detective's affidavit, also allege that the emails that Lois Goodman sent to the man on the Internet talked about having "alternative sleeping arrangements," according to the Los Angeles Times. Goodman was annoyed that her husband of 50 years was calling 15 times a day, according to the New York Daily News, quoting a source.
Goodman was escorted by Los Angeles Police Department detectives Thursday from a Manhattan court still wearing her navy-blue uniform warm-up suit for the U.S. Open, which she was set to officiate. She was arrested in New York City Aug. 21.
"She's anxious to defend herself," said her lawyer in New York, Guy Oksenhendler. "My concern is that their actions may prejudice her defense in California."
Oksenhendler says Goodman, who's now in Los Angeles, is innocent and the arrest is an attempt to grab headlines before the U.S. Open. "My understanding is that this was front page coverage not only here in New York but out in California," he said.
Goodman called police April 17 and told officers she arrived home and found her husband, Alan Goodman, 80, dead at the bottom of the stairs, said Lt. David Storaker, the chief of detectives at the LAPD's Topanga station.
"She surmised that he must have had a heart attack and fallen down the stairs," Storaker told ABCNews.com earlier this week.
Officers concluded that there was no sign of forced entry, and the statements Goodman was making seemed suspicious, so they investigated further, Storaker said.
On Aug. 2, the Los Angeles Country Coroner ruled the man's death a homicide.
The cause of death was multiple injuries to the head, Storaker said. According to the arrest warrant, he was killed with a coffee cup.
Although LAPD detectives said they think they know the motive, Storaker said they weren't sharing it because it will affect the case.
"We're trying to retrace the steps of both Goodmans that day to see if there was any strain in their relationship or arguments occurred," he said. "We don't want to taint any other memories."
If convicted, Goodman could face life in state prison, according to the L.A .County District Attorney's office. Prosecutors recommended bail at $1 million.
Representatives of the U.S. Open, which starts Monday, said they did not have information on Goodman's history with the tournament. They said she is an independent contractor, who was officiating qualifying matches.
Goodman is expected to appear in court Monday, according to ABC News affiliate KABC in Los Angeles.
ABC News' Sydney Lupkin contributed to this report.
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