A former New York state trooper was convicted of manslaughter Friday at his second trial after being accused of ramming his vehicle into an SUV during a high-speed chase that ended with the death of an 11-year-old girl.
Prosecutors said Christopher Baldner, 47, rammed the SUV twice on the New York State Thruway, causing the vehicle to lose control and flip over. Monica Goods, 11, who was inside the SUV, died in the December 2020 crash. Baldner’s attorneys argued the collision happened after the SUV cut him off while he was pulling alongside it during the pursuit.
“While nothing can bring Monica back, this verdict is some semblance of justice for her loved ones,” state Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.
The retired trooper, who remains free on bail, faces a possible sentence of five to 15 years in prison when he is sentenced on June 2.
A jury acquitted Baldner of murder and reckless endangerment charges in November, but they deadlocked on a second-degree manslaughter charge. Judge Bryan Rounds declared a mistrial, and a second trial on the lone remaining charge began last month.
Assistant State Attorney General Jennifer Gashi told jurors during Baldner’s latest trial that he chose to “recklessly use his patrol car as a weapon” during the chase north of New York City. Defense attorney Anthony Ricco argued it was the driver of the SUV — Monica’s father, Tristin Goods — who acted recklessly and caused her death, according to the Daily Freeman.
Baldner pulled Tristin Goods over for speeding on the highway near Kingston the night of Dec. 22, 2020. Goods, his wife and two daughters were heading north from New York City to visit family.
Baldner and Goods argued, and the trooper pepper-sprayed the inside the vehicle. Goods drove off and Baldner pursued.
Defense attorneys said Goods collided with Baldner’s trooper car twice during the pursuit. An accident reconstruction expert for the defense testified that Goods lost control of the SUV when he overcorrected after “a very minor impact,” the newspaper reported.
Charles W. Murphy, president of the Police Benevolent Association of the New York State Troopers, said the union was deeply disappointed by the verdict and that Baldner was “simply following his training when he responded to a rapidly evolving and highly dangerous situation.”
“This outcome sends a troubling message to all law enforcement officers who must make split-second decisions to protect the public,” Murphy said in a written statement.
Baldner retired in 2022 after almost 20 years with the state police.
