Killing of Dorothy Godley in Texas in 1941

Incident

Case summary

Dorothy Godley (1928-1941), a schoolgirl, was murdered by C.V. Barnes in Rosharon, Brazoria County, Texas. Godley was in a motor vehicle with her mother Tea Godley and stepfather Major Muse traveling to visit family. The road they were on became obstructed, and as Muse tried turning the vehicle around, Barnes approached them with a rifle and fired, killing Dorothy. Grand jury indicted. Trial jury convicted. An essay on this case, researched and authored by a CRRJ student, is available on request.

Victim(s):

Alleged perpetrators/other named individuals:
Perpetrator group type: [ ]

Date of incident: 1941-11-09
Location: Rosharon, Brazoria County, Texas
Location type: public space - rural
Allegation against victim: trespassing; stealing pecans; attacking a white man

Coroner process
Coroner/inquest: [ ]
Finding of no legal responsibility: [ ]

Criminal process
Arrest: yes
Charge/indictment/information: [ ]
Grand jury: [ ]
Trial: [ ]
Conviction: [ ]
Sentence: [ ]


Document(s):
advocacy group resources
census records - closed
death certificates - closed
news articles - closed
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