Arthur Frederick Goode III was born on March 28, 1954, in the United States. Described as borderline intellectually disabled, Goode began to display disturbing behavior as a teenager, particularly toward young boys. His obsession with children quickly turned into criminal behavior, and he was arrested multiple times for molesting young boys, including victims as young as 9 and 11 years old.

Despite repeated legal trouble, Goode’s parents frequently posted his bail, allowing him to remain free. In 1975, he was sentenced to five years of probation with a condition for psychological treatment at Spring Grove Hospital Center in Baltimore, Maryland. However, after just a few days, Goode checked himself out and fled to Cape Coral, Florida, where his parents had moved.

After leaving treatment, Arthur Goode embarked on a cross-state killing spree in early 1976. His first known murder was 10-year-old Jason VerDow in Cape Coral, Florida. Goode abducted and murdered the boy, later admitting to the crime. He then traveled to Virginia, where he abducted and murdered another young boy, Craig Heimbuch, age 9.

Goode was arrested shortly after the murders and showed no remorse, instead writing disturbing letters to young boys while awaiting trial. In court, Goode insisted on representing himself and frequently behaved erratically. Despite raising an insanity defense, he was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in Florida.

He spent several years on death row at Florida State Prison, during which he made bizarre and disturbing public statements, showing clear mental instability. On April 5, 1984, Arthur Goode was executed in the electric chair at the age of 30.