CONTENT NOTE: This article discusses sexual assault, kidnapping, armed robbery, homicide, and attacks on women. Jaded Evidence distinguishes convictions, allegations, investigative links, and proven facts.
Facts over speculation. Follow the evidence.
Phoenix Under Fear
Between 2005 and 2006, Phoenix police investigated a cluster of violent crimes involving sexual assault, robbery, kidnapping, and murder that became associated with the name “Baseline Killer.”
Mark Henry Goudeau was ultimately prosecuted in one of Arizona’s largest capital cases. According to the Arizona Supreme Court, investigators linked him to crimes against 33 victims on 12 separate dates between August 2005 and June 2006.
The Charges and Convictions
Goudeau was charged with 74 felonies, including nine counts of first-degree murder. After a 72-day trial spanning approximately seven and a half months, the jury returned guilty verdicts on 67 counts, including all nine murder charges.
The Arizona Supreme Court later affirmed the death sentence.
Why the Case Became So Difficult
The crimes did not all look identical. The prosecution had to present a large number of separate incidents involving different victims, different locations, and different combinations of offenses while still establishing why they belonged in one prosecution.
The trial court allowed the State to organize the evidence into chronological “chapters,” corresponding to the dates on which the charged crimes occurred.
DNA and the Investigation
Arizona court records state that DNA evidence led to Goudeau’s arrest in September 2006 for sexual assaults committed in 2005. Further investigation then connected him to additional murders, kidnappings, sexual assaults, aggravated assaults, robberies, and related offenses.
Confirmed Versus Attributed Conduct
| Category | Status |
|---|---|
| 9 murders | Convictions entered at trial. |
| 67 felony convictions | Returned by the jury across the charged series. |
| 33 victims | Victims described in the Arizona Supreme Court’s summary of the prosecution. |
| Other theories or suspected crimes | Should remain separate from conduct proven in court. |
What Authorities Knew — And When
August 2005–June 2006
A series of violent crimes unfolds across the Phoenix area.
September 2006
Goudeau is arrested after DNA evidence connects him to sexual assaults.
Further investigation
Police and prosecutors build a broader case involving murders, kidnappings, robberies, assaults, and sexual offenses.
Trial
After a months-long capital trial, the jury convicts Goudeau on 67 felony counts, including nine murders.
2016
The Arizona Supreme Court affirms the death sentence.
Jaded Evidence: Why This Case Matters
The Baseline Killer case is a strong example of how investigators connect a large series of crimes that do not present as one perfectly uniform pattern.
It also raises important questions about forensic evidence, linkage analysis, prosecutorial joinder, and whether investigative delays can expose additional victims to harm.
A serial case does not require every crime to look exactly the same. It requires evidence strong enough to prove who committed each one.
Sources & Further Reading
- Arizona Courts — State v. Goudeau case summary
- Arizona Court of Appeals — Hogue et al. v. Phoenix et al.
Jaded Evidence separates proven convictions from suspected or uncharged conduct.
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