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Murder of Lonetta White

In 1998, 39-year-old Virginia Caudill was seeing Steven White but the relationship was on the rocks. On March 13 or 14th, the couple got into an argument about Caudill’s drug use. Caudill either moved out or was kicked out of the home.

She went to a crack house and ran into 39-year-old Johnathan Goforth, a man she hadn’t seen in 15 years. On March 14th, 1998, Goforth drove Caudill to the Lexington, Kentucky home of Loretta White, her estranged boyfriend’s 73-year-old mother.

Caudill asked Lonetta for 20 to 30 dollars so she could get a motel room. After getting the money, Caudill and Goforth went back to the crack house and bought some drugs.

At around 3 am on March 15th, 1998, the duo returned to Lonetta’s home. Once she opened the door, they beat her to death with a hammer, ransacked her home, and grabbed jewelry, guns, and a fur coat.

Afterward, they took Lonetta’s body, wrapped it in a rug, and loaded it into the trunk of her car.

They drove the vehicle to a deserted area several miles away, poured gasoline on it, and set it on fire. Police found the body the same day.

Police questioned Caudill about the murder hours later. She told them she was with Goforth when the crime was committed, and she gave detectives his contact info. When they reached out to Goforth, he did not respond.

Goforth and Caudill couldn’t take the heat and left town. They spent time in Mercer County, Kentucky, before heading to Ocala, Florida. After that, they landed in Gulfport, Mississippi. Later, Caudill went by herself to New Orleans, Louisiana, where she was arrested on November 11th, 1998. Police arrested Goforth in Gulfport, Mississippi, on December 8th, 1998.

Caudill and Goforth were both charged with murder and several other offenses.

Legal Proceedings

They were tried together in 2000, and each blamed the other.

Caudill said she asked Lonetta for more money, and when Lonetta turned her back, Goforth charged into the home and beat Lonetta.

He then took Caugill to a spare room and tied her up while he finished Lonetta off and ransacked the home. He then wrapped the body in a carpet and forced Caudill to help him put the body in Lonetta’s vehicle. Then, the pair drove in separate cars to a deserted area where she watched Goforth set Lonette’s vehicle on fire.

Goforth claimed Caudill initiated the attack when Lonetta refused to give her money. He said he walked into a different room and considered what to do next.

He claimed Caudill ransacked the home and then forced him to help her put the body in Lonette’s vehicle. Then they drove in separate cars to a deserted area, and Caudill set Lonette’s vehicle on fire.

On March 24th, 2000, Caudill and Goforth were convicted of murder, robbery, burglary, arson, and tampering with physical evidence. They were both sentenced to death.

Aftermath

Goforth died on June 14th, 2025, in a hospital. Caudill is now 66 and is the only woman on death row in Kentucky. The state’s last execution was on November 21st, 2008, so Caudill’s execution will likely never be carried out.