Spencer Corey Goodman was born in 1969 and raised in Texas. Public records describe him as a habitual criminal and repeat offender. Before the 1991 murder that made headlines, Goodman had already served time in prison for multiple offenses, including theft and assault. Despite being deemed a risk, he was paroled in early 1991 — a decision that would later be harshly criticized.

Only months after his release, Goodman’s freedom ended in horror and violence. His background paints a picture of a man with a violent streak and no stable support system, ultimately leading him to commit one of the most brutal crimes in recent Texas history. Goodman’s case would go on to serve as an example in debates over parole reform, victim protection, and capital punishment.

On July 2, 1991, in Houston, Texas, 48-year-old Cecile Ham, wife of music producer and ZZ Top manager Billy Mack Ham, was in a drugstore parking lot when she was kidnapped by Spencer Goodman. A newly released parolee, Goodman had a long history of violent crime and had been out of prison only a few months.

Goodman abducted Cecile Ham, severely beat her, and murdered her before stealing her car and fleeing the area. The full details of the murder were gruesome: Ham’s body was found beaten and dumped, indicating blunt force trauma and likely strangulation. Authorities confirmed the violent nature of her death and launched a manhunt.

Five weeks later, Goodman was located driving Ham’s stolen vehicle. After a high-speed chase through Texas highways, he crashed the car and was arrested. The evidence was overwhelming: eyewitnesses, forensic links, and the victim's vehicle in his possession. He was charged with capital murder.

Goodman was convicted in 1992 and sentenced to death. The case was deeply personal for Billy Mack Ham, who not only had to suffer the brutal loss of his wife but also witnessed the legal process from start to finish. In January 2000, after spending nearly a decade on death row, Spencer Goodman was executed by lethal injection at the Texas State Penitentiary. Billy Ham was present at the execution.

Goodman gave no final statement and was pronounced dead on January 18, 2000, closing a chapter of justice for the Ham family and a chilling reminder of the cost of failed parole systems.