Skip to main content
Thursday, October 29, 2026Oct 29
Subscribe
All Sections
Search
More

This story is free to read.

Hamilton County woman sues unnamed Chattanooga police, former officer and city over mother’s strangulation death

Staff photo by Olivia Ross / Lawrence Goodine is seen during his preliminary hearing in March in Chattanooga. He had his case bound over to a grand jury. Goodine b; a Hamilton County grand jury on charges including first-degree murder.
Staff photo by Olivia Ross / Lawrence Goodine is seen during his preliminary hearing in March in Chattanooga. He had his case bound over to a grand jury. Goodine b; a Hamilton County grand jury on charges including first-degree murder. Staff photo by Olivia Ross / Lawrence Goodine is seen during his preliminary hearing in March in Chattanooga. He had his case bound over to a grand jury. Goodine b; a Hamilton County grand jury on charges including first-degree murder.

By Sofia Saric 4 min read


The city of Chattanooga, a former officer and unnamed officers are being sued over the strangulation death of a local woman after the police department allegedly failed to enforce a no-contact order.

Lawrence Goodine, 44, is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence and violation of a no-contact order in connection with the death of his former girlfriend, Kara Akins, 48.

Goodine was scheduled Wednesday for a jury trial days after Akins’ daughter, Paris Akins Golden, filed the wrongful death lawsuit in Hamilton County Circuit Court.

Akins’ daughter alleges there were one or more Chattanooga officers and city employees who failed to protect Akins from being killed, in part because of Goodine’s connection to the department, according to the complaint.