Colleague of U.S. Open tennis umpire shocked by murder allegation

A longtime colleague of a U.S. Open tennis umpire who has been charged with fatally bludgeoning her 82-year-old husband said she doesn't believe the woman could have committed murder.

Lois Goodman, 70, was arrested in New York on Tuesday morning and charged with killing her husband at their Woodland Hills home on April 17. Goodman told police at the time that her husband, Alan Frederick Goodman, took a deadly tumble down the stairs. Investigation, however, revealed that his injuries were more consistent with an attack.

Goodman is a longtime umpire who was scheduled to officiate at the U.S. Open in New York and has worked several other high-profile tennis events throughout her lengthy career.

"I've worked with her for years and I don't believe any of this," said Annette Buck, director of adult and senior tennis at the United States Tennis Assn.

Buck described Lois Goodman as a "very good official" and said she was arrested as she was getting on a bus to go officiate qualifying matches for the U.S. Open.

Los Angeles police Lt. David Storaker said Alan Goodman's death "was a suspicious death from the onset," adding that the man's head injuries seemed more consistent with an attack.

Los Angeles County coroner's officials supported that and said the injuries were inconsistent with a fall.

"It was a homicide. He had multiple sharp-force injuries," said Ed Winter, assistant chief of investigations for the coroner's office.

During the last few months, detectives gathered evidence and served several warrants, including at least one at Goodman's home, Storaker said. That evidence was presented to prosecutors, who recently filed charges.

"She bludgeoned him to death with a coffee mug," said Jane Robison, a district attorney's spokeswoman, citing details in the charges.

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-- Richard Winton