Wife of accused lashes out at mayor, police in handling of Phoenix's Baseline Killer probe

Friday, September 15th 2006, 9:36 pm

By: News On 6

PHOENIX (AP) -- Wiping tears from her eyes, the wife of the ex-con linked to the Baseline Killer investigation lashed out Friday at Phoenix police and the mayor for their handling of the case.

"Allegations and accusations have been spilled into the streets with complete disregard for the truth and what kind of people we really are," Wendy Carr told reporters outside her lawyer's office.

Carr's husband, Mark Goudeau, is charged with 20 criminal counts including kidnapping and sexual assault in the Sept. 20 attack on two sisters.

According to police reports, a man with a baseball cap lowered to his eyebrows approached the sisters, then 21 and 23, from behind. He pointed a gun at the women as he attacked them.

Police have linked the Sept. 20 attacks to the so-called Baseline Killer investigation -- a rash of 23 shootings, rapes and robberies that left eight people dead in more than a year.
Investigators have been checking to see whether Goudeau can be tied to those attacks as well.

Pausing several times to collect her emotions, Carr said she was horrified with how Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon seem to have convicted her husband already.

The mayor cheered Goudeau's arrest the day after he was taken into police custody, saying: "Any individual who has been arrested for rape and kidnapping is a violent monster off the street. ... That's a good day."

Scott Phelps, a spokesman for Gordon, said the mayor stands by his statement.

"The mayor is profoundly aware of who the real victims are in this case," Phelps said.

Phoenix Police Sgt. Joel Trantor wouldn't comment about Carr's statement or police reports that show one victim identified another man. He said investigators have no other suspects in the case.