Earl "Frank" Goff

Earl “Frank” Goff

Frank Goff

Homicide

Earl “Frank” Goff
36 YOA
612 SE Jackson Ave.
Des Moines, IA
Polk County
Case # 1977-35047
Date of Crime: September 23, 1977
Date of Death: September 24, 1977

 

By Aaron Brilbeck

 
July 22, 2010 | WHO-TV Channel 13 Des Moines
 
DES MOINES — Roxanne Beck was just entering her teen years 33 years ago when her father, Frank Goff of Des Moines, was murdered. And the killer, Goff’s children believe, was one of his own brothers.

Now, there will never be an arrest and there will never be justice. Goff’s brothers are both dead.

House where Frank Goff slain Courtesy photo WHO-TV, Des Moines
Frank Goff’s parents’ Des Moines home, where police believe Frank was shot and killed by his two brothers.

“It was hard,” Beck says, “It was really hard. I was only thirteen. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through in my life.”

The year was 1977. Star Wars was a big screen hit, Jimmy Carter became the 39th President of the United States, and — as was often the case — Frank Goff was arguing with his brothers, Jerry and George.

This time, the argument turned deadly.

Police believe Jerry and George taunted Frank into going to their parents’ home on Southeast Jackson Avenue on Friday night, September 23, 1977. There was a party going on but that changed when Frank walked in the door and was immediately shot in the neck.

Courtesy photo WHO-TV
Frank Goff’s children believe justice will never be served in their father’s death; his brother Jerry – believed to be the trigger man – died in 2002, and George, a career criminal, died in 2009.

Police told the family they believe Frank lay on the floor bleeding to death while his brothers dug the bullet out of the wall and concealed other evidence. Frank’s son, also named Frank, was just 10 years old at the time.

“They just told me that he’d been shot,” the younger Goff recalls, “And back in those days you couldn’t go up to the hospital if you were under 14 or whatever. So basically we spent the night in the waiting room in the basement of the hospital. I did not see him after that night, to tell you the truth.”

Frank Goff died the next day.

“He was my best friend,” Beck says. “I was only 13 and it was really hard to get over. I mean you never get over it. But it was really devastating for me.”

Police questioned his brothers — the family says police told them they believed Jerry was the trigger man — but there wasn’t enough evidence to make an arrest.

frank-goff-with-kids-400px Courtesy photo WHO-TV, Channel 13, Des Moines
Frank Goff with his two children, daughter Roxanne and infant son Frank.

“That’s just what the detectives thought at the time,” Beck says. “They believed that he did it because his story didn’t match up with what he was telling them and they caught him in so many lies. They just didn’t have any physical evidence.”

Even with so many people at the party, police apparently were not able to find enough witnesses to make an arrest.

Days turned to months, then years as the case went cold.

Jerry died in 2002 and is buried at Laurel Hill cemetery in an unmarked grave. Records show he died of respiratory arrest. George, a career criminal, died in 2009.

Frank Goff’s kids believe the two got away with murder.

“People do more time in jail for speeding tickets these days than anybody ever did a day for that murder, you know? And it’s like, so yeah we never get justice as far as that goes,” Goff says.

frank-goff-gravestoneCourtesy photo Katie Lou, findagrave.com
Frank Goff is buried at Highland Memory Gardens Cemetery in Des Moines.

And with their uncles both dead — they doubt there ever will be justice.

“Oh no. No,” Beck said. “There hasn’t been [justice] for 33 years. And there will never be obviously, you know what I’m saying? Because you can’t prosecute a dead person.”

The family wants to know why police haven’t been able to make an arrest, considering the number of witnesses at the party, the fighting between the brothers, and the gun found at the murder scene.

We asked police for copies of the police report and other information about the case. A police spokeswoman replied and said the case is locked and no information can be released.

Earl Franklin “Frank” Goff was born June 24, 1941. He was buried at Highland Memory Gardens Cemetery in Des Moines.

WHO-TV Channel 13’s Aaron Brilbeck reports on the unsolved murder of Frank Goff. July 22, 2010

Information Needed

If you have any information about Frank Goff’s unsolved murder, please contact the Des Moines Police Department Detective Bureau at (515) 283-4864.

Sources:

14 Responses to Frank Goff

  1. Michelle Goff says:

    Jerry Goff is my father

  2. Lisa says:

    Frank was my grandfather and I am praying someone will finally come forward with information since all the people we assume are involved are deceased. It would be a miracle to finally give my family some closure.

  3. Cody R says:

    Smells like a coverup someone higher up gave a thug a break and now is covering. Mafia crap needs to stop!

  4. Patrick Kerrigan says:

    Sounds like a real nice family. The parents let their sons kill their son, and never threw them under the bus. I would charge them with concealing a homicide, and obstruction. Also the witness could have come forward after a number of years.

    Then they could say that who actually murdered Frank. Then the case could be closed, and add that the offender or offenders are deceased. Authorities in Oregon or Idaho, about a year ago, identified an offender in the death of a young female resident of a state facility. He is also deceased. The cold case is closed.

    Maybe the police are to lazy to make the effort.

  5. shelby says:

    Were their parents still living when this tragedy occurred? I wonder what their thoughts were.

    • Mike Byrne says:

      The parents probably knew who murdered their son but were afraid to say anything against their other two sons.They knew that anyone who would murder their own brother wouldn’t hesitate to murder his father and mother,too.

  6. Laura Edmondson says:

    I am so sorry. I have wondered often if my father was murdered or if he even passed away like I was told. It's been 35 years and I'd like to say it gets easier but we all know that it doesn't.

  7. I pray someone comes forward. God be with their family and friends.

  8. Larry Hutzel says:

    I was the first detective on the scene. One of the people present at the time of
    the shooting was a young black male ” a friend of Jerry Goff’s”. He was afraid to talk at the time because of Jerry Goff and his brother George.
    Since both and Jerry and George are dead, It might be worth your while to contact him. I don’t recall his first name ” but it should be in the police report” his father was Phillip Tredlow. Who was the principal at Amos Hiatt at the time.

    • Potemkinville Idiot (@vermontaigne) says:

      What does it mean that a report is “locked”?

    • andrea says:

      Larry Hutzel, why was the perp at least not charged with obstruction (or whatever you call it in Iowa) for lying? This makes no sense. If you can’t get a mobster on a murder charge get him on tax evasion. If you can’t get a local thug on a murder charge, then charge him at least on whatever little piddly stuff you can, and then while he’s inside, hope for a jailhouse snitch.

    • J.D. says:

      Frank is my grandfather. Is there anyway current detectives could look into this?

    • Brandy Guy says:

      Larry Hutzel I would like more info on this! Please contact me!!!!!

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