A convict killed his fellow inmate upon discovering that he was imprisoned with the individual who sexually assaulted his younger sister.
Shane Goldsby, aged 25 at the time, was captured on video brutally attacking Robert Munger on June 2, 2020, at the Airways Heights Corrections Center in Washington, US. Munger, aged 70, was serving a lengthy sentence for crimes related to child rape, molestation, and possession of child pornography. Goldsby expressed shock at being housed in the same cell as the person who had harmed his sister when she was a minor. He stated a month after the incident that such a situation was highly unlikely and likened it to winning the jackpot multiple times in a casino.
During the altercation, Goldsby, who was serving time for stealing a police car, claimed that Munger had been bragging about his heinous acts, which escalated the tension between them. Goldsby had repeatedly asked to be moved to a different cell, but his requests were allegedly ignored by prison authorities. Goldsby mentioned that he had even sought a new cellmate upon arrival at the unit but was not granted the change.
Prior to the fatal incident, Goldsby activated the emergency cell button, but no prison staff responded to the call for help. Following the incident, Goldsby received an additional prison sentence of nearly 25 years for the murder. He expressed remorse towards Munger’s family through a statement delivered by his attorney, acknowledging his actions and the pain he had caused.
Goldsby’s troubled past, including abuse by his drug-addicted mother and a tumultuous childhood in foster care, was highlighted during the court proceedings. The Washington Department of Corrections characterized the incident as unfortunate and complex, mentioning that a screening oversight had led to Goldsby and Munger being housed together despite the cellmate policy intended to prevent such situations.