Piano teacher, 75, kills himself outside courthouse just hours before mistrial declared in his sex abuse case

  • John Goodwin, 75, of Atkinson, New Hampshire, went on trial this week on six counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault
  • The jury were not aware of what had happened when they decided they could not reach a verdict  
  • Goodwin had pleaded not guilty in the case in which prosecutors said he repeatedly sexually assaulted a student, who is now 24
  • The former student alleged the abuse began when he was 11 years old and lasted from 2002 to 2005  

A piano teacher accused of sexually assaulting an underage student killed himself outside a New Hampshire courthouse hours before his case was declared a mistrial, authorities say.

John Goodwin, of Atkinson, shot himself near his car outside the Rockingham County Superior Courthouse in Brentwood on Friday. He was airlifted to a hospital, where he died from his injuries. 

The jury was not aware of what had happened outside the courthouse when they decided they could not reach a verdict in the 75-year-old's case, according to New England Cable News

John Goodwin, 75, killed himself outside of Rockingham County Superior Courthouse on Friday morning while jurors were deliberating claims that Goodwin had sexually assaulted an underage student

John Goodwin, 75, killed himself outside of Rockingham County Superior Courthouse on Friday morning while jurors were deliberating claims that Goodwin had sexually assaulted an underage student

Prosecutors said that Goodwin, who pleaded not guilty, repeatedly sexually assaulted an 11-year-old student from 2002 to 2005. 

The former student testified he didn't come forward until 2013 because he was embarrassed, according to WMUR

Goodwin's lawyer, Joe Welsh, acknowledged his client was 'touchy-feely,' but said he didn't commit a crime.

'He did hug his student, rubbed his back, massage,' said Welsh. 'It's not a crime. Whether it's appropriate, that's different.'

Goodwin's trial began Monday. The jury had been deliberating for two hours when Goodwin shot himself around 11am. 

He was not in custody at the time of the shooting.

The jury was not aware of what had happened outside the courthouse when they decided they could not reach a verdict in Goodwin's case

The jury was not aware of what had happened outside the courthouse when they decided they could not reach a verdict in Goodwin's case