Evidence to prove Carrollton murderer’s guilt airs on national TV

by Sarah Blaskovich

19-year-old Melanie Goodwin

CARROLLTON — You may remember Ernesto Reyes, the man accused of murdering 19-year-old Melanie Goodwin in Carrollton. If the name doesn't ring a bell, maybe this string of events will: Reyes was caught on tape in Denton talking to Goodwin at a gas station. He was caught on another gas station surveillance camera filling up a gas can that same night. And then, he was found on tape at TransTech, a Carrollton business at the 3200 block of Keller Springs, dragging a dead body out of Goodwin’s red two-door Saturn car and lighting it on fire. It was Goodwin's body, and she had been raped and strangled beforehand.

I know the story all too well, as I was reporting in Carrollton at the time. I went to the grassy area where her body was found and I spoke with her family personally. I was haunted by the idea that a young, smart woman could be victim to such a terrible story.

After police struggled to solve the murder, Reyes was arrested in Mexico in October 2007. He was extradited back to the U.S. in May 2008, and we didn't hear much about him since.

Ernesto Pina Reyes

Today is that day. The evidence that later found Reyes guilty from circumstantial evidence will be aired on ABC's "Primetime: Crime" tonight (July 8) at 9 p.m. CT. According to the network's cliff-hanger synopsis, defense attorneys argued that the 90 minutes between when Reyes followed her out of the store and when she was lit on fire could have rendered him not guilty. But in three hours, the jury agreed that Reyes was guilty of capital murder.

Amazingly, Reyes is appealing the decision and still hasn't admitted or apologized.

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Don_Wishon, says:

Sarah...wasn't the QT Quick Trip gas station in Carrollton as well?

Anonymous

5 months ago
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Don_Wishon, says:

I just read your story in the Carrollton paper...maybe the Primetime program last night had it incorrect. I thought they mentioned the QT was in Carrollton.

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5 months ago
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obenavides, says:

No, the QT was in Denton. About 20 miles away.

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4 months, 3 weeks ago
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Sarah Blaskovich, says:

The first camera that caught him on tape (when Melanie Goodwin was still alive) was at a QuikTrip in Denton. Then, he was caught at a Chevron station that happened to be closed, a part that I left out above since it may not have furthered the already-lengthy explanation. But then, he was caught on a third camera, alone, filling up a gas can.

The location of that last gas station had honestly escaped me since it's been about two years. And while we were doing hour-by-hour reporting, I'm not sure that information was readily available. From a news search, I read that it was at a 7/11 and that not much time had elapsed, but I can't be sure what city it was in.

And then, as we know, Melanie's body was found in Carrollton, thus making us call it a "Carrollton murder," though I think it was a tragedy for many other cities as well.