Woman gets life in prison for killing mother in Catoosa County to steal her babies

Catherine Joann Goins
Catherine Joann Goins
photo In this undated photo released by the Catoosa County (Ga.) Sheriff's Department, Catherine Goins poses for a photo. Goins, 37, of Hixson, Tenn., is charged with murder after authorities say she gunned down a northwest Georgia woman because she wanted the mother's newborn baby. (AP Photo/Catoosa County (Ga.) Sheriff's Department)

Catherine Joann Goins was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole today.

Goins, 39, plead guilty today to malice murder, felony murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault and kidnapping in the Superior Court for Catoosa County.

Goins posted ads on Craigslist in attempt to arrange meetings with women who had infant children under the pretense of providing baby clothes. She falsely claimed to be pregnant, wearing a prosthetic pregnancy belly to pass as being pregnant in attempt to steal a baby.

On September 19, 2014, Goins met Natalia Roberts, a young mother of two children. Goins invited Roberts into a residence in Catoosa County to offer baby clothes. After the two entered the residence, Goins directed Roberts to go down a narrow stairwell and then shot Roberts in the back of the head with a .380 caliber pistol, killing Roberts instantly.

Goins then stole Roberts' vehicle and took her two children away from the residence for a short time before returning. Goins eventually returned to the scene of the crime to clean up.

She told investigators that she killed Roberts in self-defense as Roberts was burglarizing the residence. Forensic evidence contradicted her claim and Goins later confessed to a detective that the self-defense claim was untrue.

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