Goldmark murders
The Goldmark murders refer to a tragic incident that occurred on December 24, 1985, when David Rice invaded the home of Charles Goldmark in Seattle, using a toy gun. Rice handcuffed the Goldmark family—Charles, his wife Annie, and their two sons, Derek and Colin—before brutally stabbing them. Annie and Colin died at the scene, Charles succumbed to his injuries shortly after arriving at the hospital, and Derek died several weeks later. Charles Goldmark was a prominent civil rights attorney and a notable figure in the Democratic Party, which adds a layer of complexity to the case related to political ideologies.
Rice was linked to right-wing extremist views and was associated with a local anticommunist group that had labeled the Goldmark family as part of a communist conspiracy. Following his arrest, Rice confessed to planning the attacks for six months. His trial raised questions about his mental health, but he was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to death. The case underscored the issues of hate crimes and the impact of extremist ideologies during the 1980s, leading to legislative changes aimed at strengthening penalties for such crimes. In a later appeal, Rice's conviction was overturned due to ineffective legal representation, resulting in a plea deal for life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The Goldmark murders remain a poignant example of the intersection of personal tragedy and broader societal issues.
Goldmark murders
The Event A Seattle family is murdered on Christmas Eve
Date December 24, 1985
David Rice killed a Seattle family on Christmas Eve, because he mistakenly believed the family to be Jewish and part of a communist conspiracy. The murders drew attention to the growth of right-wing extremism and anti-Semitic terrorism in the United States.
On December 24, 1985, David Rice forced his way into the Seattle home of Charles Goldmark using a toy gun. He handcuffed the forty-one-year-old Goldmark, his forty-three-year-old wife, Annie, and their two sons, Derek (twelve) and Colin (ten). He then repeatedly stabbed all four of them. Annie and Colin died immediately. Charles died shortly after arriving at the hospital, and Derek died approximately thirty-seven days after the attack.
Charles Goldmark was a graduate of Yale Law School and a prominent Democratic civil rights attorney in Seattle. He had served as a delegate for Senator Gary Hart of Colorado at the 1984 Democratic National Convention. Charles was the son of John and Sally Goldmark, who were accused of being communists in the 1960’s. The accusations ended John Goldmark’s career as a member of the Washington legislature, and in 1963 he sued for libel against his accusers, who had based their statements on the fact that Sally Goldmark had been a member of the Communist Party in the 1930’s. John Goldmark won his libel suit and received a forty-thousand-dollar judgment.
Rice was apprehended two days after the attack, when authorities traced the use of Charles Goldmark’s credit cards. During the interrogation process, Rice confessed that he had been planning the murder for six months. Investigators determined that Rice was a right-wing extremist and a member of the local Seattle chapter of the anticommunist Duck Club. He learned of the Goldmark family through the Duck Club organization. Leaders of the Seattle Duck Club chapter, Homer Brand and Gene Gooseman, identified the Goldmark family as members of a communist conspiracy and provided shelter for Rice after he committed the murder.
At his arraignment, Rice pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to four counts of aggravated first-degree murder. Rice occasionally displayed symptoms of psychosis. However, his attorney, Bill Lanning, failed to introduce any evidence at trial of his client’s psychotic symptoms. Rice was found guilty of the murders and sentenced to death.
Impact
The Goldmark murders helped legislators enact more stringent punishments for hate crimes. Despite the victims in fact being neither Jewish nor communist, the crime also shed light upon the rise in anti-Semitism, as well as of hate groups and racist ideologies in general, that characterized the 1980’s.
Subsequent Events
Rice appealed his conviction on the grounds of having been represented by an ineffective counsel. In addition to Lanning’s failure to introduce evidence supporting his client’s defense, the attorney had allowed the police unlimited access to Rice. In 1997, the appellate court determined that Lanning’s defense had indeed been ineffective, and it overturned Rice’s conviction, granting the appellant a new trial. In May of 1998, Rice pled guilty in exchange for a lesser sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Bibliography
Amond, P. “Racist Origins of Border Militias: The History of White Supremacist Vigilantism and Tom Posey’s Civilian Military Assistance.” n.p.: Public Good Project, 2005. Available at http://www.publicgood.org/reports/vigilante‗history .pdf
Robbins, J. A. T. “This Thing of Darkness: A Sociology of the Enemy.” Journal of Scientific Study of Religion 36, no. 2 (1997): 340.
Turner, W. “Sanity of Confessed Slayer at Issue in Seattle Trial.” The New York Times, May 28, 1986.