NY Trooper sentenced to prison for manslaughter in case of Monica Goods
At the end of a five-hour hearing Tuesday Christopher Baldner, 48, was sentenced to 2 1/2 to 7 1/2 years in prison for his part in a high-speed pursuit on the New York State Thruway that led to the death of 11-year-old Monica Goods, of Brooklyn.
A former New York State Trooper is headed to prison for his conviction stemming from a high-speed car chase that led to the death of an 11-year-old girl.
At the end of a five-hour hearing Tuesday Christopher Baldner, 48, was sentenced to 2 1/2 to 7 1/2 years in prison for his part in a high-speed pursuit on the New York State Thruway that led to the death of 11-year-old Monica Goods, of Brooklyn.
"I hope you understand the damage you're actions caused and the lives that were changed because of them," Monica's mother Michelle Surrency told Baldner in her victim impact statement. "There are truly no words to capture the depth of this loss."
Baldner pulled over a car driven by Monica's father, Tristin Goods, in December 2020 for a speeding violation.
Monica and her sister Tristina were in the back seat.
Monica's stepmother at the time, April Goods, was in the passenger seat.
Tristin Goods had an altercation with Baldner, during which Baldner deployed his pepper spray into the vehicle.
Police said Tristin Goods then sped off, reaching speeds of up to 130 mph.
Baldner followed, eventually ramming the car twice from behind to stop it.
The second ram caused the car to flip.
Monica died at the scene.
Tristina suffered spinal injuries and a knee injury.
Baldner was acquitted in November 2025 of murder, and the jury deadlocked on the manslaughter charge.
Baldner was convicted of manslaughter in the second trial this past March.
Speaking through their spokesperson, the Rev. Kevin McCall, the family said they are pleased with Baldner's sentence, especially considering the that the offense does not carry with it mandatory minimum jail time.
"We're thankful he has been sentenced," McCall said after the hearing, "and now he's going to have to sit in a jail cell to think about the death of Monica Goods."
Ulster County Judge Bryan Rounds sentenced Baldner to half the maximum sentence of five to 10 years, adding that Tristin Goods also seemed at fault.
Judge Rounds pointed out that Monica's last words on an audio recording made by Baldner were "Daddy, stop."
Baldner is not done fighting.
"We'll be filing a notice of appeal," his attorney John Ingrassia said as he left the courthouse. "Chris Baldner plans to appeal and we'll see what the appellate court says."
Before sentencing Baldner, Judge Rounds sounded off.
He said that if state police had mandated troopers to wear body-cameras the case would have played out differently.
He also criticized activists who followed — and sometimes disrupted — the court proceedings, saying they need to learn to think critically and they were wrong to assume race had anything to do with the case.
The family of Monica Goods is now taking civil action against state police.
They said Tuesday they are in the midst of a joyous yet saddening time since Tristina — who was severely injured in the crash — has prom this weekend and Monica's younger brother is about to turn 11, the same age Monica was when she died.
