Murder charge reinstated against ex-trooper in chase that killed girl, 11

NEW YORK (AP) — An appeals court reinstated a murder charge on Thursday against a former New York state trooper in the death of an 11-year-old girl during a high-speed chase.

In a 4-1 ruling, a mid-level state appeals court said that trooper Christopher Baldner instigated “perilous, unsanctioned high-speed collisions” during two chases, including the one that killed Monica Goods in New York’s Hudson Valley in December 2020.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said the decision would enable her office to continue “to seek some semblance of justice for the Goods family.”

“As a former state trooper, Christopher Baldner was responsible for serving and protecting the people of New York, but the indictment alleges that he violated that sacred oath and used his vehicle as a deadly weapon, resulting in the senseless death of a young girl,” James, a Democrat, said in a statement.

A message seeking comment was left for Baldner’s lawyer and union. The ex-trooper, who retired in 2022, also faces manslaughter and other charges that have stood throughout the case.

A trial judge had dismissed the murder charge last year.

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