The perfect crime, I’m told, requires a lot of planning, with nothing left to chance. Sometimes, though, you can be a little too thorough as this tale from earlier this year shows.
In late January Robert Shull Goddard broke into a house in Nashville, Tennessee, via the back door and stole a TV set and a gun. A distressing but minor crime, you might think, and it was but for one detail.
In going about his business, Goddard dropped a notebook which contained a list of other targets, including a house that was broken into that day, and, touchingly, a note, complete with address, from his daughter. The police did not require the deductive powers of Sherlock Holmes to work out who the culprit was and effected the arrest with the minimum of fuss and effort.
In March Goddard was sentenced to 12 years in prison for aggravated burglary, time enough to reflect that planning does not always pay.
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