A Washington State inmate was sentenced to an additional 24 years for murdering his cellmate - a convicted child rapist who had abused his sister.
Shane Goldsby, 26, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder charges, and was sentenced last week for beating his cellmate Robert Munger, 70, to death in June 2020.
Munger was serving a 43-year prison sentence at the Airway Heights Correctional facility on multiple child molestation and child pornography charges, when Goldsby was assigned to his cell.
Goldsby said he snapped after hearing Munger brag about his crimes, and while in a prison common area, came up from behind and attacked Munger, knocking him to the ground, before punching and kicking him in the face 14 times and then stomping on his head another four times before walking away.
Munger died three days later from his injuries.
Shane Goldsby, 26, (left) was sentenced to an additional 24 years in prison after he beat his cellmate, Robert Munger, 70, to death upon discovering he had sexually assaulted his sister. Munger was serving a 43-year prison sentence for child molestation and child porn possession
Goldsby said that he killed Munger after discovering his younger sister, who is still a minor, was one of Munger's victims, KHQ reported.
'I had so much stuff going on in my head,' he said. 'I wasn't stable at that point. I wasn't. I was getting to that point, because (Munger) kept wanting to give me details about what happened, what he did – about the photos and the videos of him doing this stuff. It was building up.'
The child's mother, Cindy Elliott, and an anonymous tipster told the station the Munger had raped the girl.
Goldsby expressed his disbelief that something like that could happen, and that when he found out who Munger was, he requested a different cellmate, but was ignored.
'I was in shock,' he said. 'I was like, 'what the f***?'... This stuff doesn't happen. You're talking the same institution, the same unit, the same pod in the same cell as this dude. That's like hitting the jackpot in the casino seven times.'
Munger had been convicted in December, 2019 for child rape, child molestation and possession of child pornography.
Meanwhile Goldsby was serving time for a 2017 incident in which he stole a police vehicle and took police on a lengthy chase before crashing it into a Washington State patrol vehicle and injuring the trooper inside.
Goldsby said he couldn't believe he had been transferred to the same cell as Munger, and had requested a transfer, which he says was ignored
He told KHQ that he had gotten into a number of fights with corrections officers during his time in prison, and had been moved to multiple facilities before being transferred to Airway Heights.
Upon his transfer Goldsby said he was a reformed man, and had found God.
'I quit gangbanging. I was doing good,' he said.
The Washington Department of Corrections said it has a policy against such prison assignments, but after a review it discovered that because of issues such as different last names, was unable to find the connection between the two, the Spokesman-Review reported.
'There was no clear indication in the documentation regularly reviewed for housing assignments that there was a potential conflict,' DoC spokeswoman Janelle Guthrie said
Goldsby was too emotional at his sentencing Wednesday (pictured) to read his apology to Munger's family
His attorney, Victoria Lynn Blumhorst, read out Goldsby's apology instead
'You put me in the same cell as this dude,' Goldsby said. 'I feel set up. I'm the victim.'
At his sentencing on Wednesday, Goldsby was too overcome with emotion to read his apology.
His attorney, Victoria Lynn Blumhorst read it for him, the Spokesman-Review reported.
'I’m ashamed of my actions, I was put into a situation that I don’t wish on nobody,' she said on her client's behalf. 'I got a lot of fixing to do.'
She had told the judge that Goldsby had a troubled childhood, and had been transferred to 10 different foster homes before reconnecting with his mother, who began to use drugs with him.
Goldsby had been in prison since he was 22 for his joyriding incident, and had been transferred to Airway Heights after going through an inmate reform program.
The two had been assigned to the same cell at the Airway Heights Correctional Center (pictured). The Washington Department of Corrections has policies against making such inmate assignments but after a review, found it was unable to verify the connection between the two before it was too late
The maximum sentence Goldsby could have received was 33 years, and the prosecuting attorney said the additional 24 years he received was intended so that there was no possibility of Munger's wife being alive upon Goldsby's release, according to the Spokesman-Review.
In addition to his prison sentence, Goldsby is to serve three years parole upon his released and pay Munger's family restitution, with a figure set at a later date, the outlet also reported.
'I cannot imagine what it would be like to lose a loved one in this kind of way,' Blumhorst said, continuing her client's apology. 'To his wife and his whole family I apologize. I am so sorry and I hope you are able to heal from what I caused.'
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