Topic: A Question About Mickey Thompson and His Wife

[bill440cars]

           My posting the picture of Mickey Thompson's Mustang FunnyCar over on the Funny Car Thread, brought a sad thought that I had forgotten about.   Some years ago, Mickey Thompson and his wife were murdered at their home and, the last I heard, they either had no clue who did it or why (or, for some reason, they weren't talking about who or why!) Anyone out there ever hear anything on that? The best I remember, it seemed such a senseless and for, apparently, no reason! The man sure did a lot for racing! Anyone remember his car called "The Challenger" with FOUR Pontiac motors?

                   



http://www.chron.com/class/cars/featuredvehicle/031206.html

[TwoTired]

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/category/mickey-thompson/

[bill440cars]

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/category/mickey-thompson/

             Well Thank You TT! I DO appreciate that bit of info. It was such a loss to know that they were murdered like they were. I'm ashamed to think that I didn't even think to try to find out for myself online. Odd how a person can look up all kinds of things online and something like this could probably be found by myself, and I didn't even think of it! Thanks again.

                                   Later on, Bill

[johnrtse]

A major regret in my life:  I attended the 1987 SEMA show in Las Vegas. Right after a seminar,  I stood within 5 feet of Mickey.  He was/is one of my idols and I wanted to get his autograph,  but I was so nervous and didn't think that the time was appropriate to ask him. 

Then I heard about 4 months latter that he was murdered....

John 

[bill440cars]

A major regret in my life:  I attended the 1987 SEMA show in Las Vegas. Right after a seminar,  I stood within 5 feet of Mickey.  He was/is one of my idols and I wanted to get his autograph,  but I was so nervous and didn't think that the time was appropriate to ask him. 

Then I heard about 4 months latter that he was murdered....

John 

           That's too bad John! One thing about it though, I'll bet you can still remember being that close to him and remember how he looked that day. But, it just shows you, that you never know how things are gonna go. He really was some kind of guy.

                                     Later on, Bill

[TwoTired]

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/category/mickey-thompson/

             Well Thank You TT! I DO appreciate that bit of info. It was such a loss to know that they were murdered like they were. I'm ashamed to think that I didn't even think to try to find out for myself online. Odd how a person can look up all kinds of things online and something like this could probably be found by myself, and I didn't even think of it! Thanks again.

                                   Later on, Bill

That's why team efforts generally produce better outcomes than individual ones.  (Until they get large enough to develop a bureaucracy, that is.) 
There's usually that forehead smacking moment when each member experiences the "why didn't I think of that" expression.  It's particularly hard on those that strive to be a thorough as possible.  Not that I have any first hand experience in such things.  I have to go whistle now.  See ya!

[bill440cars]

        TT, You are so right and BTW, Good Luck with that "whistling"


                                   Later on, Bill

[DarkRider]

I wasnt even aware the guy was dead...color me stupd lol

[BobbyR]

On March 16, 1988 Mickey Thompson and his wife were killed by two gunmen at their home in Bradbury, California in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. [1]

Mickey and his pets are interred in the Rose Hills Memorial Park, in Whittier, California.

An intense police investigation led nowhere until thirteen years after their deaths when former business partner Michael Frank Goodwin was charged in Orange County, California with the murders. [2] However, that case was overturned on jurisdictional grounds by the California District Court of Appeal. On June 8, 2004, Goodwin was formally charged in Pasadena in Los Angeles County. In October 2006, a Pasadena Superior Court judge ordered Goodwin to stand trial for the murders.

On January 4, 2007 a jury found Michael Goodwin guilty of two counts of murder in the death of Mickey Thompson and his wife. Goodwin was sentenced to two consecutive life-without-parole terms for the murders of Thompson and his wife. The judge also denied Goodwin's motion for a new trial.

The murder investigation was the subject of the April 28, 2007 episode of the CBS television program 48 Hours Mystery.

Justice finally prevailed.