A Liberty County jury found a local man guilty of capital murder on Friday, August 14.
Kenneth Wayne Dollery was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in a trial that took place in the 253rd District Court of Judge Chap Cain III.
The charge of capital murder, kidnapping, robbery and beating against Barney Ross Goodman, took place on September 1, 2006. Dollery, along with Hollis Buckley, kidnapped Goodman and took him to the San Jacinto River bridge,  located at FM 2090 in northern Liberty County.
Accusations of conspiring and participating in the beating of Goodman with a baseball bat, resulted in the life sentence. Additionally, the two men then took his prosthetic legs, threw them in the San Jacinto River and left Goodman for dead under the bridge.
Several other individuals were involved in the scheme to rob Goodman of his bank card and steal his disability money.
According to court testimony, it took Goodman eight hours to crawl out of the water, up the bridge embankment in order to wave down a motorist. Goodman later died as a result of the injuries.
Goodman was a Vietnam Veteran and had long-term medical issues, according to court testimony. He suffered from diabetes, which led to his legs being amputated.
Liberty County Assistant District Attorney Anne Streit prosecuted the case and asked the jury to give Dollery guilty of capital murder.
Streit reportedly spoke to the jury saying, “He (Dollery) knew he was disabled, a double amputee, because he had been living in his trailer for two weeks. She continued, “What he didn’t know was that on September 1, Goodman wanted to live. Something got that man up the embankment to that guard rail.”
As she continued to speak, “He is the one that took the legs and told Hollis Buckley to put him in the river.”
Dollery’s defense attorney Steve Taylor, argued that the lesser charges should be explored first, including  kidnapping, aggravated kidnapping, robbery, aggravated robbery and murder before pronouncing the charge of capital murder.
During closing arguments, Streit concluded saying that several other individuals allegedly involved in the murder, such as the mother of Buckley, will be eventually tried.
She concluded, “Under our law, we will hold everyone accountable if they are a part of this crime.”