Jennifer Goodall, a 40-year-old Port Huron, Michigan woman, is charged with open murder in the September 3, 2025 shooting death of her 23-year-old boyfriend, Chase Hunter Hoyt. The Jennifer Goodall case is pending in St. Clair County Circuit Court, where she is being held on a $500,000 bond and her trial is scheduled to begin on August 4, 2026.1The Times Herald. Jennifer Goodall Murder Trial Delayed for Blood Pattern Analysis
What Happened the Night of the Shooting
Port Huron police were called to a home in the 1400 block of 10th Avenue at about 11:21 p.m. on September 3, 2025, for a reported domestic disturbance.2Click On Detroit. Man Dies After Being Shot During Port Huron Domestic Dispute, Woman in Custody Officers found Hoyt with a gunshot wound and performed CPR until Tri-Hospital EMS took over. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.3The Times Herald. Police Investigating Fatal Shooting on 10th Avenue in Port Huron
Goodall’s 11-year-old child was inside the home and was not hurt.4WXYZ Detroit. 23-Year-Old Man Killed in Port Huron, 40-Year-Old Girlfriend Charged With Murder Property records showed the home belonged to Goodall, and police described the incident as a domestic dispute between the couple. The Port Huron Major Crimes Unit and the Michigan State Police Crime Lab processed the scene.5CBS News Detroit. Man Dead After Shooting in Port Huron
Charges and Bond
Goodall was arrested at the scene and arraigned on September 5, 2025, in 72nd District Court before Judge Mona Armstrong. She faces three counts: open murder, which carries a possible life sentence; felony firearm use; and purchasing a pistol without a license, a misdemeanor.2Click On Detroit. Man Dies After Being Shot During Port Huron Domestic Dispute, Woman in Custody
Senior Assistant Prosecutor Megan Leyva-Kelley asked for a cash bond between $500,000 and $1 million, citing the seriousness of the charges.6The Times Herald. Port Huron Woman Charged in Boyfriend’s Fatal Shooting The court set a $500,000 cash/surety bond, and Goodall has been held in the St. Clair County Jail since the night of the shooting.
Evidence From the Preliminary Examination
At a September 23, 2025 preliminary examination, prosecutors played the 911 call Goodall placed the night of the shooting. She told the dispatcher there was “a gunshot wound at 10th Ave.” Asked who shot her boyfriend, she answered, “Me.” She mentioned an “altercation” and then became audibly upset, alternating between sobs and screams, and gave no further coherent answers.7The Times Herald. Michigan Woman Who Shot Boyfriend Admitted Shooting in 911 Call
Port Huron Officer Kevin Dombek testified that he found Hoyt unresponsive with a chest wound and that no one else was in the house when he arrived. On cross-examination, Dombek acknowledged that photographs taken later showed bruises on Goodall’s arms and legs and scratches on her neck, though he had not seen those injuries at the scene. Detective Brandon Rossow testified that he recovered a handgun from a bedroom dresser loaded with 11 bullets and one in the chamber. An autopsy entered into evidence found Hoyt died from a gunshot wound to the chest and ruled the manner of death a homicide.7The Times Herald. Michigan Woman Who Shot Boyfriend Admitted Shooting in 911 Call
Defense attorney Donald Sheldon argued that prosecutors had not tied the recovered handgun to the shooting. Judge Armstrong ruled that Goodall’s 911 admission was enough to proceed regardless, and bound the case over to circuit court on the open murder and felony firearm charges. The misdemeanor firearm-purchase charge was not addressed at the hearing.7The Times Herald. Michigan Woman Who Shot Boyfriend Admitted Shooting in 911 Call
Why the Trial Was Delayed
Circuit Court Judge Michael West originally set trial for March 3, 2026. Both the defense and the prosecution asked for a continuance because the Michigan State Police Forensic Science Division’s blood pattern analysis would not be finished in time. The lab estimated completion in June or July 2026. Judge West moved trial to August 4, 2026, with a plea hearing scheduled for July 27, 2026.1The Times Herald. Jennifer Goodall Murder Trial Delayed for Blood Pattern Analysis
Change of Defense Counsel
In April 2026, Senior Assistant Public Defender Donald Sheldon and Assistant Public Defender John Przeslawski moved to withdraw, citing a “breakdown in the attorney-client relationship.”8The Times Herald. Jennifer Goodall Murder Case Sees Attorney Change in Port Huron, Michigan The St. Clair County Public Defender’s Office stayed on the case and assigned Assistant Chief Public Defender Frederick Lepley to represent Goodall.9WGRT. Port Huron Woman Changes Lawyers The August 4 trial date remained in place after the change.
Who Chase Hunter Hoyt Was
Hoyt was born April 19, 2002, in Albert Lea, Minnesota, and grew up near Croswell, Michigan, graduating from Croswell-Lexington High School. He worked as a commercial roofer and planned to become a union carpenter, and he played in local pool leagues.4WXYZ Detroit. 23-Year-Old Man Killed in Port Huron, 40-Year-Old Girlfriend Charged With Murder
His parents, Serena and William Herman, said Hoyt had met Goodall when he was around 20. The nearly two-decade age gap had been a concern for the family, though they noted he was an adult making his own choices. At the time of the shooting, the family said they did not know whether domestic violence had been a factor in the relationship.4WXYZ Detroit. 23-Year-Old Man Killed in Port Huron, 40-Year-Old Girlfriend Charged With Murder