Drugs may have led to Houston couple's slayings in Austin Arrest made in Houston couple's slayings

Non-payment for drugs may have led to the UT grads' Austin killings

Mourners gather outside George H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home for a vigil Sunday night for Stacy Barnett, 22, and John Goosey, 21. Mourners gather outside George H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home for a vigil Sunday night for Stacy Barnett, 22, and John Goosey, 21. Photo: Michael Paulsen, Chronicle Photo: Michael Paulsen, Chronicle Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Drugs may have led to Houston couple's slayings in Austin 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

Police charged James Richard “Ricky” Thompson, from the Austin area, with two counts of capital murder in the July 21 shooting deaths of Stacy Marie Barnett, 22, and John Forest Goosey, 21, a young Houston couple that had just earned degrees from UT.

Police said Sunday that it appears Goosey had been dealing marijuana for at least three years, and that Thompson owed him a substantial amount of money for drugs he had been given to sell.

“Thompson felt like he was at the end of his ability and, sadly, he felt like this was the only avenue of escape he could utilize,” said Lt. Mark Spangler, head of the violent crimes unit.

Goosey is the son of prominent Houston eye surgeon Dr. John D. Goosey. His mother is Claire Goosey, a breast cancer survivor known for her volunteer work in the community, said attorney and longtime family friend Gary Tidwell.

The couple — whose parents live blocks from each other in West University — will be buried today in a joint funeral service at 10 a.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church at 6802 Buffalo Speedway.

“We are relieved that a suspect in the murders of our children has been taken into custody. While we understand the public's interest in this case, we are in the process of burying our children, so please respect our privacy,” Tidwell said.

Friends and family said the mood was somber Sunday night when the couple were remembered at a private vigil and viewing at a Memorial-area funeral home.

“They had a few friends come up and share their personal experiences with them,” said Colleen Rejcek, a friend of the Goosey family, who called the shooting tragic and shocking.

Others said the standing-room-only service — which closed with the Beatles classic Here Comes the Sun — was beautiful.

While the couple grew up nearby and attended Lamar High School together, Barnett and Goosey didn't meet until they went to Austin. They had been dating nearly three years.

Relatives have characterized Goosey as being spontaneous and gregarious. He was an exemplary student with a great sense of humor, friends said. Barnett, who planned to return to Houston to pursue a career in interior design, loved traveling, art, music and literature.

The couple shared a love of poetry, friends said.

Barnett, who lived with Goosey, appears to have become a victim solely by being home when Thompson arrived, police said. There is no evidence that Barnett was involved in marijuana dealings or that she used marijuana, Spangler said.

Relatives became worried about the couple when they didn't show up in Houston for a family celebration as expected. Friends discovered the bodies when they went to check on them.

Cell phones smashed

Thompson, whose parents live on Lake Travis near Austin, became acquainted with Goosey three years ago through drugs, police said. Goosey appears to have been a mid-level player in a distribution system, police said.

According to Thompson's arrest affidavit, the couple were killed with a .22-caliber handgun. The affidavit states that an acquaintance of Thompson's told police that Thompson said he shot Goosey and Barnett in the head, retrieved shell casings and then smashed their cell phones.

Thompson told his acquaintance that he smashed the phone so that investigators could not trace a call he'd made to Goosey earlier that day, according to the affidavit. Police found records of the call, which was placed near the couple's home and just before the killing, between 10 and 10:15 a.m., according to police.

An anonymous tip confirmed to police that they were on the correct trail, Spangler said.

A search warrant was executed on Thompson's residence Friday, and he was initially charged with marijuana possession, police said.

During interviews with police, Thompson admitted that Goosey had “fronted” him substantial amounts of marijuana to sell and that he did not have the money to repay him, Spangler said. Goosey was “pressing” him to pay up, police said.

Police refused to give any additional details — other than that the victims were shot — about the killings.

They're continuing to investigate the case, including looking at people who may have provided a gun and transportation to Thompson.

Staff writer Anita Hassan contributed to this report, which also contains material from the Austin American-Statesman.

r.g.ratcliffe@chron.com

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