Vernon County man wanted for his mother’s murder found dead in Arkansas

VERNON COUNTY, Mo. – An Arkansas resident finds the body of Aaron Goodwin, the sole suspect in his mother’s murder in southwest Missouri.

According to the Vernon County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office, Aaron’s body was in a wooded area outside of Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Nearly five months ago, authorities named him the sole suspect in the murder of his mother, Connie Goodwin. The prosecutor’s office also filed a charge of Abandonment of a Corpse.

On October 28, 2020, law enforcement found Connie’s decapitated body in her Vernon County home. The Sheriff’s Office says the Hot Springs Police Department found her head in the back of a truck later that day. (Previous story: Vernon County homicide victim identified, son wanted)

Investigators, based on information received, believed Aaron may have committed suicide in a wooded area. But until they found him, authorities considered him at large.

“Because his body had not been found, we continued to follow up on leads from Kansas and Missouri and requested the assistance of a federal agency in searching for him,” says Vernon County Sheriff Jason Mosher.

Investigators are still trying to piece together what may have caused Aaron to commit such a crime.