Grand Jury to Question Suspect in Racer’s Death

Nearly 13 years after racing legend Mickey Thompson and his wife were gunned down outside their San Gabriel Valley mansion, an Orange County grand jury is set to hear testimony from the man detectives have long named as their leading suspect in the alleged murder-for-hire case.

Michael Goodwin, who maintains that he had nothing to do with the 1988 slaying of his former business partner, said Monday through a spokesman that he has received a subpoena to appear before the panel sometime next month. His ex-wife is scheduled to testify on Wednesday, said the spokesman, Michael Nason.

The death of the Thompsons in the exclusive community of Bradbury has been an enduring whodunit, with investigators in Los Angeles and Orange counties chasing more than 1,000 clues and leads--most of them going nowhere.

Despite publicly labeling Goodwin, 56, as a prime suspect, detectives never found enough evidence to make an arrest in the killings. In recent years, Los Angeles County sheriff’s investigators said their probe gained momentum with the discovery of new DNA evidence, though they refused to elaborate.

But Nason said the case has languished for more than a decade because law enforcement officials have insisted on focusing almost entirely on Goodwin, despite a lack of compelling evidence against him.

Nason called the launch of a grand jury investigation a “witch hunt” against Goodwin, who he said is furious that investigators have never followed up on his suspicions in the case.

Authorities on Monday would not comment on the status of the probe or provide details about their case to the grand jury, which has the power to hand up indictments for murder.

But detectives have for years openly speculated that the Thompson slayings were the work of professional killers and most likely motivated by a grudge.

Thompson, the first American to break the 400-mph land speed mark, was a dominant force in off-road racing promotions when he was killed in the driveway of his walled estate as he left for work. Witnesses told police they saw two men flee the scene on 10-speed bicycles. The men didn’t take anything from the house or from the couple, who had nearly $70,000 in jewelry and $4,000 cash on them.

Investigators quickly zeroed in on Goodwin. He and Thompson had bitterly parted ways in 1985, with Goodwin losing a $531,000 legal battle after a judge ruled that he had misappropriated Thompson’s investments in various joint business dealings. Goodwin filed for bankruptcy soon afterward.

Thompson’s sister, victims rights activist Collene Campbell, put up a $1-million reward for information leading to the arrest of the killers.

Two years ago, Orange County prosecutors announced that they had been asked to help detectives in Los Angeles with the case because many of the clues had led them to Orange County.

Nason said Goodwin knew for about a year that authorities were re-interviewing possible witnesses in the case.

“We are going to fight any criminal indictment against Mike Goodwin,” Nason said.