Houston, Texas – In a tragic case that has shocked the community, a 29-year-old man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for the murder of an 18-year-old Spring woman. Henry David Cossette was convicted during a two-day bench trial for the murder of Sara Goodwin, who tragically lost her life on February 6, 2022.
The crime took place after Cossette met Goodwin on the Bissonnet Track in southwest Houston, a notorious area known for prostitution and human trafficking. The two returned to Cossette’s apartment in the Alief area, where he ultimately strangled Goodwin. Following her death, Cossette dismembered her body in the bathtub and disposed of her remains in trash bags, which he then dumped in a rural area off Beltway 8.
Goodwin’s disappearance was reported by a friend who noticed her phone’s location near Cossette’s apartment before it went dead. This led to a missing persons report being filed and eventually to the discovery of Goodwin’s remains. An autopsy confirmed that she had been strangled.
The Assistant District Attorney involved in the case, Helen Le, stated that Cossette’s actions following the murder, including attempting to set a fire in his apartment to take his own life, showed his guilty conscience. In a statement, Dana Nazarova, who also prosecuted the case, highlighted the unpredictability of individuals who may seem “normal” on the surface.
Despite the severity of his actions, Cossette opted to have a judge decide his case instead of a jury. Both prosecutors emphasized that Goodwin did not deserve to lose her life in such a brutal manner. The tragic incident serves as a reminder of the dangers that can lurk behind closed doors and the importance of seeking justice for the victims of such heinous crimes.