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20 Facts You Didn’t Know About the Murder of Racing Legend Mickey Thompson

Throughout his career, Mickey Thompson competed in drag racing and road racing all over the world, setting numerous land speed marks. In his four-engine 鈥淐hallenger 1鈥� vehicle, the renowned innovator Mickey established a record speed of 406.6 mph, making him the first American to reach 400 mph on land.

He eventually wanted to expand his involvement in the business side of things by offering tires and bespoke parts. This brought him to Mike Goodwin, who was reputed to be a ruthless businessman and a little bit of a jerk. Mickey and Goodwin agreed to a deal, but it quickly fell through as a result of Goodwin鈥檚 failure to uphold its terms, leading to a costly $800,000 lawsuit. It was customary for Goodwin to use threats verbally while interacting with Mike. Numerous coworkers attested that he frequently used physical violence and intimidation against people who disobeyed his selfish agendas. This was proven on March 16, 1988, when Mickey and Trudy were shot dead in cold blood by two criminals when they were met as they left their garage.

1. Thompson and his Wife were Gunned Down in the Driveway of their Home

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Bradbury, California, a wealthy rural neighborhood close to Los Angeles, was where Mickey and Trudy called home. The sound of gunfire broke the morning silence of March 16, 1988. Shots were fired from Mickey Thompson鈥檚 house. Sheriffs discovered Trudy shot to death at the bottom of the driveway. Mickey Thompson was also discovered dead just a few yards away, next to the garage.

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2. Mickey was Fatally Shot in the Head

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One of the attackers chased Trudy as she retreated while the other shot and wounded him before being dragged out onto the driveway. After shooting her, the assailant returned up the driveway, where Mickey was being kept under observation, and shot Mickey in the head before fleeing.

3. The Suspects Waited Outside the Thompson鈥檚 House

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A pair of unidentified perpetrators waited outside the Thompsons鈥� house on the morning of the murder for the couple to leave for the day. When Mickey went to open the garage door so that his wife could leave it in her car, the shooters started the fire.

4. Mickey Witnessed His Wife Being Killed

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According to the police鈥檚 theory, Mickey was met by the shooters as soon as he emerged from the garage. While the second person approached Trudy, one of them shot Mickey right away. Mickey was made to witness the second shooter shooting his wife. Then Mickey was put to death as well.

5. The Killers were Between 20 to 30 years

Both of the suspects wore jogging suits. They stood roughly six feet tall and had a lifespan of twenty to thirty years. They were employed to carry out the killings, according to police.

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6. The Assailants Rode off on their Bicycles

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After killing the couple, The assailants then rode off on their bicycles, which they had used to get to the Thompson home.

7. Robbery was Ruled Out as a Plausible Motive

The robbery was ruled out as the likely cause because expensive jewelry and a sizable sum of cash were discovered on the Thompsons鈥� bodies. Trudy was wearing jewelry worth over $70,000 when she was slain. She and her spouse had $4,000 in cash on them.

8. An Intense Police Investigation did not Identify the motive for the crime

The murders were committed professionally, the sheriff鈥檚 investigators realized right away. However, the identity of the mysterious gunmen or the reason for the crime was originally eluded to by a thorough police inquiry.

9. Thompson’s Sister Never Gave up on the Investigations

Colleen Campbell, Thompson鈥檚 sister, was one person who never gave up on her brother’s death. She put in a valiant effort to get the case reopened and was adamant that Goodwin, Thompson鈥檚 former business partner, was to blame for the deaths of her brother and sister-in-law.

10. The Sister Offered a Million Dollar Reward for Information

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 She recruited private investigators to follow up on every tip and offered a million-dollar reward for information. She urged several TV shows, including Unsolved Mysteries, 48 Hours, and America鈥檚 Most Wanted, to replay the re-enactments in the hopes that a fresh witness would come forward.

11..Thompson鈥檚 Former Business was the Subject of the Investigations

Michael Frank Goodwin, Thompson鈥檚 former business partner, was the subject of a police investigation after he resolutely refused to pay Thompson the more than $768,000 settlement he was due.

12. One of the Witness came forward 13 Years Later

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13 years had passed when a caller identified himself as a buddy of a friend who claimed to have seen something that might have been significant about the shootings. A fresh Cold investigation detective was brought in by the sheriff鈥檚 office to work on the investigation.

He was regarded as a Hot Dog detective who, when looking into homicides, displayed a sixth sense. In a last-ditch effort to learn something about the case from this buddy of a friend, he contacted the TV station since he had no other leads and was desperate.

13. Thompson鈥檚 Ex-Business Partner was Spotted Spying on them with Binoculars Several Days before the Murders

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In Bradbury, a couple had spotted a man sitting in a suspicious-looking automobile while he scouted the neighborhood. It was two days before the killings when this sighting occurred, not the day of the shooting. When the enthusiastic investigator asked the man if he thought he could identify the person in the automobile, the man responded, 鈥淢aybe.鈥�

The witness recognized Mickey鈥檚 former business partner from one of six huge images that the investigator displayed as the person he saw in the area two days before the shootings. This started a protracted legal process in which the prosecution attempted to make a case against the former partner who seemed to have committed the ideal crime.

14. Thompson was Killed because of Retaliation for a Failed Business Venture

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Thompson, 59, and his wife, 41, in retaliation for a failed business venture. They demonstrated that Goodwin and Thompson formed a partnership to organize motocross racing events, a venture that failed. In a contentious court dispute that followed the dissolution of the partnership, Thompson, who claimed to have been duped, prevailed and obtained a judgment against Goodwin for more than $700,000.

15. Mickey Had Informed His Sister that He Received Threats to his Life

Mickey established a very successful stadium racing business. However, things didn鈥檛 work out in the business arrangement with Richard Goodwin. A terrible lawsuit resulted from it. Mickey informed Collene Campbell, his sister, that he and his wife had received threats to their lives:

鈥淗e had called me on the phone, and he said, 鈥楽is, I鈥檓 concerned.鈥� And I said, 鈥榃hat鈥檚 the matter, Mick?鈥� And he said, 鈥業鈥檓 afraid Goodwin鈥檚 gonna hurt my baby,鈥� meaning his wife Trudy.鈥�

16. Goodwin and his Wife Left the Country Five Months after the Murder

Two months before the Thompsons鈥� murder, Goodwin and his wife purchased $275,000 worth of gold coins and sent $400,000 to banks on the island of Grand Turk and Caicos. Five months after the murder, Goodwin and his wife boarded a yacht and departed the country. They did not come back for more than two years.

17. The Case Remained Unsolved until 2001

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Before Goodwin was charged with the killings in Orange County, California in 2001, the case remained unresolved. The California District Court of Appeal terminated a trial on jurisdictional grounds before it could finish. Goodwin was formally accused of the killings in Pasadena, Los Angeles County, on June 8, 2004. A Pasadena Superior Court judge mandated Goodwin鈥檚 trial in October 2006.

18. Goodwin had a Violent Past and had often Vowed to Kill Thompson

Numerous witnesses testified during the trial that they overheard Goodwin threatening to kill the Thompsons.

 鈥淚鈥檓 going to kill that son of a bitch. I鈥檓 going to kill that motherfucker. I鈥檓 going to take out Mickey. I鈥檓 too smart to get caught. I鈥檒l have him wasted. He鈥檒l never see a nickel. I鈥檒l kill him first. Mickey doesn鈥檛 know who he is fucking with. He is fucking dead.鈥�

19. The Jury Determined that Goodwin had Hired the Murderers

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It turned out that Michael Goodwin, Mickey鈥檚 old business partner, had recruited the killers. Years later, Goodwin was discovered and judged guilty of the killings, but the two real murderers escaped and were never apprehended.

20. Goodwin was Found Guilty of the Two Counts of Murder

A jury held Goodwin responsible for the deaths of Thompson and his wife on January 4, 2007, and they convicted him guilty of two counts of murder. Two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole were given to Goodwin. Another motion for a fresh trial was rejected later. Although there was no direct evidence linking Goodwin to the case, the variety of circumstantial evidence was deemed to be 鈥渙verwhelming鈥� in the 2015 California 2nd District Court of Appeal decision. It has been impossible to find the two men who killed the Thompsons.

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Mickey Thompson had a highly fulfilling life, despite the tragic end to it, and his influence on the racing industry has endured. He participated in almost 10,000 races, completed over a million kilometers of racing, and at least one championship in several auto racing competitions. He was an inventor who introduced the wide oval tire, nitrogen gas shocks, and the Hydro-Barricade, a safety precaution that has helped save many lives. He also introduced the starting signal and foul-light systems for drag strips. His election into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990 was made possible by the fact that his life and accomplishments merit being honored and commemorated.