Man who killed pregnant Seattle woman found not guilty by reason of insanity
Seattle gunman found not guilty by reason of insanity in killing of pregnant woman
The man accused of killing a pregnant Seattle business owner and her unborn child in a 2023 Belltown shooting has been found not guilty by reason of insanity. He will be committed to western state hospital as the victim’s family and community continue to grapple with the loss.
SEATTLE - The suspect in a 2023 random shooting that left a mother and her unborn baby dead, and injured the woman's husband, has been found not guilty by reason of insanity.
Cordell Goosby faced charges for first-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder in his trial for shooting the death of pregnant 34-year-old Eina Kwon and her husband, Sung Kwon.
The backstory:
Eina was eight months pregnant at the time of the shooting, neither her nor her unborn child survived. Sung Kwon was shot but survived his injuries.
The then 30-year-old approached the couple at random as they were at a stop in traffic on 4th Street in Belltown and reportedly emptied a 9mm handgun into the couple's Tesla as they were commuting to work.
Cordell Goosby in the foreground with the crime scene, including the white Tesla the couple were shot in, in the background
What does not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity mean?
Goosby entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity following evaluations by both defense and prosecution experts, who reached the same conclusion about his mental state at the time of the shooting.
"Both came to the same conclusion that he was insane at the time of this crime," said Gabby Charlton, Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney and Chair of the Felony Competency and Forensic Mental Health Unit with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
In terms of the law, the King County court system says, "by presenting a not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity defense, Mr. Goosby admits that he committed the crimes and agrees to commitment to a state psychiatric hospital such as Western State."
"He has the potential of being committed under this NGRI up to the maximum term of life for the charges," Charlton said.
Prosecutors emphasized that the plea does not mean Goosby will be released anytime soon, and that there are many cases of people held on similar charges who have been at the state facility since the 1970s.
"This does not mean that Mr. Goosby will be released to the streets, now, a week from now, or in the immediate future," according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Several state and court entities would have to sign off on several petitions in the distant future for any kind of release or increased privileges based on behavior.
Shooting scene at 4th and Lenora in Belltown Seattle where a pregnant woman was killed and her husband injured. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Officials said the case took years to resolve due to competency evaluations and mental health reviews required under state law. If there had been disagreement between experts, prosecutors said the case would have proceeded to trial.
"Had there been a dispute as to that, then we would have had a basis to challenge that finding. But without it, this is how we're at an agree agreement to enter this not guilty by reason of insanity plea today."
Dig deeper:
The shooting shocked the Belltown neighborhood and prompted an outpouring of community grief. In the days after the attack, flowers and messages filled the entrance to the couple’s restaurant, Aburiya Bento House.
"It’s really unfortunate, it was so tragic and to not get any justice or resolution out of the situation is pretty unfortunate," said Melissa Haight, a Belltown resident. "Passing by and just seeing all the bouquets of flowers that people were leaving and how it would grow from like one day to the next, and just like the community support that was there."
The restaurant reopened for a year – but later closed indefinitely, now becoming Cafe Remix. Family members said Sung Hyun Kwon eventually moved to Texas with the couple’s young son.
"I hope that they are happy in Texas and finding a way through what's happened," Haight said.
Seattle gunman found not guilty by reason of insanity in killing of pregnant woman
The man charged in the 2023 shooting that killed a pregnant Seattle woman and her unborn child has been found not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors say both defense and state experts agreed he was legally insane at the time of the attack, which also left the victim’s husband wounded.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.