After more than 4 years, judge sets date for murder trial in Christmas party crash death
PLYMOUTH – After a car crash killed a teenage girl and seriously injured two other people in Pembroke more than four years ago, a judge has set a trial date for the Marshfield man charged with second-degree murder.
Gregory Goodsell's jury trial will begin Sept. 9, 2024, according to a spokesperson for the Plymouth County district attorney's office, Beth Stone.
Police said Goodsell was driving as fast as 95 mph after a company Christmas party at which he allegedly drank, smoked marijuana and used cocaine before crashing into an SUV carrying two teens and an adult just before 7 a.m. Dec. 29, 2019.
Claire Zisserson, 13; her mother, Elizabeth Zisserson; and Kendall Zemotel, 13, were severely injured in the crash. Claire later died at Children's Hospital in Boston.
Goodsell remains in custody as he awaits trial. In February 2021, bail was set at $500,000 but never posted.
After Goodsell's Superior Court arraignment in August 2020, his lawyer, Jason Benzaken, said the second-degree murder charge isn't warranted because there was no malice. Goodsell is also charged with motor vehicle manslaughter while driving under the influence, which Benzaken said is more appropriate.
Goodsell is also charged with motor vehicle homicide while driving under the influence, leaving the scene of property damage and two counts of driving under the influence causing serious bodily injury.
The holiday work party preceding the crash was hosted by a Pembroke couple, the prosecution said at the arraignment. The party ultimately led to two drunken-driving arrests, an unexplained death and two fights, police said in court filings.
One of the fights involved 41-year-old Joseph Amaral, who was found unresponsive at a Comfort Inn in Rockland, court documents say. Amaral was later pronounced dead.
Another fight involved Francis Paiva III, 36, of Halifax, who was arrested on a drunken-driving charge in Hanover after leaving the party.
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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Gregory Goodsell, accused in fatal Pembroke crash, may soon face jury
