View source for Brigitte Harris case

{{Short description|American woman and sexual abuse victim convicted of manslaughter}}
{{Infobox criminal 
| name   = Brigitte Harris
| image_name     = 
| image_size     = 
| image_caption  = 
| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|1981|06|06|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Staten Island]], [[New York (state)|New York]], U.S.
| death_date  = 
| death_place = 
| alias          = 
| motive         = 
| charge         =
| conviction     = Second-degree manslaughter
| conviction_penalty        = 5 to 15 years in prison
| conviction_status         = Incarcerated at the [[Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women]]. Released on August 13, 2012.
| occupation     = Former [[JFK Airport]] security guard
| spouse         = 
| parents        =
| children       = }}
'''Brigitte Harris''' (born June 6, 1981) is an American woman from [[Queens, New York|Queens]], [[New York (state)|New York]], who was convicted of [[manslaughter]] in the killing and [[castration]] of her father, Eric Goodridge, in her [[Rockaway, Queens|Rockaway]] apartment.<ref name="Sexually Abused Killer">{{cite news|url=http://articles.nydailynews.com/2009-11-07/news/17937979_1_cooperman-abused-sentenced |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614052848/http://articles.nydailynews.com/2009-11-07/news/17937979_1_cooperman-abused-sentenced |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 14, 2012 | location=New York | work=Daily News | title=Black Friday deals for Target, H&M, Forever21, Old Navy, Radio Shack and more | first=Thomas | last=Zambito | date=November 7, 2009}}</ref> Both Harris and her sister, Carleen Goodridge, claimed to have been [[raped]] and [[sexual abuse|sexually abused]] by their father since childhood.<ref name="Aidala Law">{{cite news|url=http://www.aidalalaw.com/html/brigitte_harris.html |title= Brigette Harris |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402060521/http://www.aidalalaw.com/html/brigitte_harris.html |archivedate=2012-04-02 |accessdate=2013-10-21}}</ref> Due to her abuse allegations, Brigitte received an outpouring of support from public figures including [[United States Senator|U.S. Senator]] [[Chuck Schumer]] and [[state senator]]s [[Diane Savino]] and [[Eric Adams (politician)|Eric Adams]].<ref name="Aidala Law"/><ref name="Eric Adams">{{cite news|last=Arinde |first=Nayaba |date= 2012-08-09 |title=Senator to hold meetings in wake of Queens incest slay |work=New York Amsterdam News |volume= 98 |issue= 33 |page= 3 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/26234096/senator-hold-meetings-wake-queens-incest-slay.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021234943/http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/26234096/senator-hold-meetings-wake-queens-incest-slay.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-10-21 |via= EBSCOHost |format=DOC |id=26234096 |url-access=subscription  |origyear=2007 |accessdate = 2013-10-21}}</ref> Harris was sentenced to five to fifteen years in prison,<ref name="Sexually Abused Killer"/> but was released after serving three years.

==Early life==
Brigitte Harris was born on June 6, 1981, in [[Staten Island]], [[New York (state)|New York]], to [[Liberia|Liberian]] immigrant parents. She lived in an apartment in [[Clifton, Staten Island|Park Hill]] with her mother until age 2, at which point she was abandoned by her mother and subsequently moved in with her father, Eric Goodridge, in [[Bay Shore, New York|Bay Shore]], [[Long Island]].<ref name="Childhood hell">{{cite news |last=Spencer |first=Peter N.|date= 2009-11-08 |title=Childhood hell, then revenge -- as described by Brigitte Harris |url=http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/11/childhood_hell_then_revenge_--.html |work=silive.com |accessdate= 2013-10-21}}</ref> When her father later moved back to his home country, Brigitte moved around with relatives. Harris reports being [[physical abuse|physically abused]] by her grandmother and [[sexual abuse|sexually abused]] by a cousin.<ref name="Eric Adams"/> During a family trip to Liberia, Harris confronted her mother about the abuse at Eric's hands, but Eric denied the allegations and claimed that his daughter was mentally ill.<ref name="Aidala Law"/> Harris moved out at age 17 and, at the time of the incident, was working as a security guard at [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]].<ref name="Eric Adams"/>

==Crime==
After several years of [[family estrangement|estrangement]] from her father, Harris was contacted by her sister, Carleen Goodridge, who claimed that Eric wanted to talk to them. When Harris arrived, she saw one of her nieces sitting on Eric's lap, leading to an argument with Carleen considering his past abuse of the sisters when they were children. Eric informed Harris that he had decided to take his granddaughters with him back to Liberia against their will. 

On July 28, 2007, Harris confronted Eric in her [[Rockaway, Queens|Rockaway]] apartment and attempted to convince him not to take the girls. After the conversation became heated, Harris handcuffed her father to a chair, gagged him with a towel to prevent him from screaming, and throttled him to death. She also [[penis removal|cut off his penis]] using a [[scalpel]]; investigators believed that he was already dead when this happened.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/murder-castration-was-revenge-cops-think/|work=[[CBS News]]|date=31 July 2007|title=Murder-Castration Was Revenge, Cops Think}}</ref> She later threw the severed penis under the [[Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk|Rockaway Boardwalk]] in [[Far Rockaway, Queens|Far Rockaway]].<ref name="Childhood hell"/> Upon dialing [[9-1-1]] and informing the operator of Eric's condition, Harris claimed that she was on her way to the police station, but never showed up.<ref name="Aidala Law"/> Instead, she contacted Carleen and told her what she had done; Carleen advised her to come to her home instead of turning herself in. When Harris arrived, Carleen called an ambulance. After seeing Harris with the scalpel in hand and still in [[shock (circulatory)|shock]], the sisters decided to check Harris into the [[Richmond University Medical Center]] [[psychiatric ward]].<ref name="Eric Adams"/> 

Carleen hired defense attorney Arthur L. Aidala to represent Harris,<ref name="Aidala Law"/> who subsequently told him about the sexual abuse she and her sister suffered by Eric. She explained how, in some African cultures, fathers are entitled to take their daughters' [[virginity]]: "He said he was doing it because he loves me and that is how fathers show love to their daughters," Brigitte said. Carleen admitted that she was sexually abused by Eric as well but had been too afraid to say anything. She set up a website called savebridget.com to raise money for her sister's [[defense (law)|legal defense]].<ref name="Save Bridget">{{cite web |url=http://www.concern-liberians.org/chat_room/view_topic.php?id=35167&forum_id=1 |title= Helping Brigitte Harris: savebridget.com Set up to Raise Funds for Legal Defense |date= 2007-08-02 |website= Coalition of Concerned Liberians Forum |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20120402053407/http://www.concern-liberians.org/chat_room/view_topic.php?id=35167&forum_id=1 |archivedate=2012-04-02 |accessdate= 2013-10-21}}</ref>

Ultimately Aidala, a highly respected attorney who normally charges a top fee, believed in Brigitte Harris's case so strongly that he took it on [[pro bono]] and even persuaded experts who testified in her defense to waive their fees as well.<ref>https://resident.com/interviews/2016/03/28/56216-2</ref>

===Investigation===
After being discharged from the psychiatric ward on August 16, 2007, Harris was charged with [[second-degree murder]] and first-degree [[manslaughter]]<ref name="Dark Angel Charged">{{cite news |author= <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= Dark Angel'Charged In Father's Slaying |url= http://www.rockawave.com/news/2007-08-24/community/011.html |work= The Wave |date= 2007-08-24 |accessdate= 2013-10-21 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131021212142/http://www.rockawave.com/news/2007-08-24/community/011.html |archive-date= 2013-10-21 |url-status= dead }}</ref> and was held at [[Rikers Island]].<ref name="Sexually Abused Killer"/> Harris, who had referred to herself as "Lady Vengeance" and "The Original Dark Angel" on her [[MySpace]] page,<ref name="Dark Angel Charged"/> claimed that she had not intended to kill her father.<ref name="Childhood hell"/> "I felt that I had to stop him," "take away his weapon".<ref name="Childhood hell"/><ref name="Lorena Bobbitt">{{Cite news|url=http://articles.nydailynews.com/2009-09-22/news/17933868_1_lorena-bobbitt-john-bobbitt-murder-trial |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614052857/http://articles.nydailynews.com/2009-09-22/news/17933868_1_lorena-bobbitt-john-bobbitt-murder-trial |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 14, 2012 | location=New York | work=Daily News | title=Sexually abused killer Brigitte Harris gets 5-15 years for penis-severing death of dad | first=Thomas | last=Zambito | date=September 22, 2009}}</ref>

==Trial==
Two years after her [[arraignment]] for second-degree murder, Harris went to trial in September 2009. Testifying in her own defense, Harris stated that she had researched the 1993 castration case of [[John and Lorena Bobbitt]].<ref name="Lorena Bobbitt"/> Prosecutors maintained that Harris' actions towards her father showed [[premeditation]].<ref name="Lorena Bobbitt"/> Harris argued that her [[Motive (law)|motive]] for the killing was not revenge, but an act to prevent Goodridge from taking his granddaughters to Liberia and likely [[child molestation|molesting]] them.

On September 30, 2009, the jury found Harris guilty of the [[lesser included offense]] of second-degree manslaughter. One juror reported that, "None of us felt that she deserved to get any murder charges or anything. So we decided on second-degree manslaughter."<ref name="Verdict">{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Jury Returns Guilty Verdict In Brigitte Harris Trial |url=http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/106626/jury-returns-guilty-verdict-in-brigitte-harris-trial/ |work=NY1 News |location=New York City, New York |date=2009-09-30 |accessdate=2013-10-21 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005121942/http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/106626/jury-returns-guilty-verdict-in-brigitte-harris-trial/ |archivedate=2012-10-05 }}</ref> Despite jury letters, Queens Supreme Court Judge Arthur Cooperman sentenced Harris to the [[maximum]] of five to fifteen years in prison.<ref name="Childhood hell"/> After serving three years, she was released on [[parole]] on August 13, 2012.

===Aftermath===
Harris has reiterated that she did not intend to kill her father, and expressed a desire to work with the [[advocacy group]] STEPS to End Family Violence when she was released from prison.<ref name="Childhood hell"/> Her case was profiled on the [[Oxygen Network]] series ''[[Snapped]]'' in November 2010. The program features interviews from Harris, her attorney, Arthur L. Aidala, and her supporters. Her case was later profiled on the [[Investigation Discovery]] (ID) program ''[[Deadly Women]]'' in the episode "Parents' Peril".<ref>{{cite web|title=DEADLY WOMEN {{!}} Parents Peril {{!}} S6E2|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE6GZ9fS5Tc|publisher=Investigation Discovery|accessdate=3 March 2017|date=19 October 2015}}</ref>  Her case was also profiled on the [[TV One (American TV channel)|TV One]] program ''Payback'', with Harris's name serving as the eponymous title of the first season's second episode.

== See also ==
* [[Sada Abe]]
* [[Bertha Boronda]]
* [[John and Lorena Bobbitt]]
* [[Emasculation]]
* [[Francine Hughes]] and ''[[The Burning Bed]]''
* [[Genital modification and mutilation]]
* [[Catherine Kieu]]
* [[Lin and Xie case]]
* [[Penectomy]]
* [[Penis removal]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris case, Brigitte}}
[[Category:American people convicted of manslaughter]]
[[Category:Patricides]]
[[Category:People from Long Island]]