Ex-cop called killer, charged in November 29 strangulation murder

A 43-year-old former Chattanooga Police Department officer –Lawrence Foster Goodine — has been charged with murder after the United States Marshals Service apprehended him in Fairfield, Tennessee.

According to reports in the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Lawrence Goodine, a 43-year-old former Chattanooga police officer, has been arrested and charged with murder, kidnapping, and evidence tampering in connection with the strangulation death of Kara Akins, 48, on November 29 in Southside Gardens.

The shocking incident, initially not disclosed as a homicide, has revealed a troubling history surrounding the accused.

Goodine’s affidavit reveals additional details about the November 29th homicide.

Goodine told investigators he and the victim went to dinner that evening. He said afterwards he went inside a gas station to buy cigarettes for the victim, and when he returned to the car, she was gone. Goodine said he drove around until he found the victim. He claimed she was acting “as if she’d taken some kind of narcotic”.

Goodine told police he took the victim home and fell asleep on her couch. Goodine said he woke up around 3:00 A.M. and found the victim unconscious. When he couldn’t wake her, he called police. Goodine told investigators he believed the victim overdosed.

The medical examiner determined the victim was strangled to death and ruled the manner of death homicide.

The autopsy report noted a broken bone and several other injuries to her neck, but there weren’t any narcotics in the victim’s system.

The affidavit also revealed investigators discovered video evidence showing Goodine pushing the victim. She can be heard screaming “stop” and saying the name Lawrence.

Goodine is scheduled to appear in court December 22, 2023.

Goodine, who was terminated from the Chattanooga Police Department in 2007 after a series of misconduct charges, was apprehended in Fairfield Glade, Tennessee.

The arrest follows an investigation by homicide investigators and the Hamilton County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The autopsy report, released on Thursday, determined Akins’ cause of death as manual strangulation and blunt head injury.

The toxicology report revealed the presence of alcohol and cocaine in her system, with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.254, more than three times the legal limit for driving.

The CPD’s official statement, released on Friday, outlined the circumstances leading to the arrest. Officers responded to an unconscious person in the 2600 block of Carr at 3:34 a.m. on Nov. 29, discovering Akins at the scene.

The initial release stated she died at the scene, but subsequent investigations uncovered the harrowing details surrounding her death.

Goodine’s troubled history came to light as reports surfaced about his termination from the Chattanooga Police Department in 2007.

An internal affairs investigation that found Goodine took money from suspected drug dealers during traffic stops resulted in charges of theft, improper search, improper procedure, untruthfulness, and submitting a false report. 

Although Goodine faced criminal charges, he was found not guilty in 2008. However, then police chief, Freeman Cooper, refused to reinstate him.

In the aftermath of his termination, Goodine appealed to the Chattanooga City Council and Hamilton County Chancery Court, seeking reinstatement.

However, the appeals court affirmed the termination, stating, “we do not know any additional formulation of facts or conclusions that would be necessary for adequate review in this matter.” Goodine sued the city and lost.

The new charges against Goodine are raising questions about the police department’s handling of his earlier dismissal and subsequent legal battles.

The CPD’s Fugitive Unit, in collaboration with the United States Marshals Service, apprehended Goodine in Fairfield, Tennessee.

He has been booked into the Hamilton County Jail on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, and tampering with evidence.

This case adds another layer to the ongoing conversation about the accountability and oversight of law enforcement personnel, especially those with a history of misconduct.