Murder Charge Reinstated Against Former New York Trooper

Second-degree murder charges have been reinstated against a former New York State Police trooper after he was accused of causing a deadly crash on the Thruway in December 2020.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has announced that the New York State Appellate Court has reinstated the charges of Murder in the Second Degree (Depraved Indifference Murder) and Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree against former New York State Trooper Christopher Baldner. The charges, which were dismissed by an Ulster County judge in 2023, stem from an accident that occurred while Baldner crashed his New York State Police cruiser into another car while driving on the Thruway.

11-Year-Old Girl Killed in New York State Thruway Crash

The tragic accident happened back in December of 2020 while Baldner was patrolling along the New York State Thruway in Ulster County when he allegedly used his police car to ram another vehicle causing an accident. The vehicle the former trooper hit was occupied by four passengers, all members of the Goods family, and resulted in the tragic death of 11-year-old Monica Goods.

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In October 2021, Attorney General James announced the indictment of former Trooper Baldner on charges of Murder in the Second Degree, Manslaughter in the Second Degree, and Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree saying,

“As a former State Trooper, Christopher Baldner was responsible for serving and protecting the people of New York, but the indictment alleges that he violated that sacred oath and used his vehicle as a deadly weapon, resulting in the senseless death of a young girl."

 

Charges Against NY Trooper Dismissed

Those charges were later dismissed in February 2023, after an Ulster County Court judge ruled that evidence presented to the grand jury to indict former Trooper Baldner was insufficient. At the time AG James vowed to appeal the ruling, resulting in today’s reinstatement of the charges. James was clearly happy about the successful appeal saying,

"While nothing can return Monica Goods to her family’s loving arms, this decision from the court will enable my office to continue our efforts to seek some semblance of justice for the Goods family. We must hold law enforcement professionals to the highest standards, and we will continue our work on this case to ensure that justice is served.”

 

Additional Charges Against Former Trooper

Not only will Baldner face the charges above, but he will also be facing a first-degree reckless endangerment charge that was also reinstated according to the AG’s office. That charge is from a separate incident in September 2019 where Baldner allegedly used his police vehicle to hit a different car, which contained three people.