Convicted murderer, rapist again charged with rape

April 23, 2013 at 11:30a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

James Gooden has spent nearly half his life in prison for the rape and murder of a woman in 1986 and now he will be standing before a Youngstown Municipal Court judge on burglary, attempted rape, assault and kidnapping charges.

Gooden, 57, of Youngstown, is set for a preliminary hearing on Monday before Judge Elizabeth Kobly on the felony charges. He is being held in the Mahoning County jail on a $500,000 bond.

Gooden is charged in connection with the attack and attempted rape of a 21-year-old West Side woman last week.

Gooden can go forward with the preliminary hearing Monday or he can waive that hearing and allow charges to be directly presented to a Mahoning County grand jury for possible indictment.

Gooden was convicted in the 1986 stabbing death and attempted rape of a Youngstown woman. He served 25 years in prison on those charges, being released in late 2011.

In the most recent case, reports say Gooden went to the victim’s Lakeview Avenue home and attempted to assault her after threatening the woman with a knife.

For more on this story see Wednesday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.