WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Jurors reached a verdict Friday in the DUI manslaughter trial of International Polo Club founder and Houston native John Goodman.
The jury found the millionaire guilty of DUI manslaughter and guilty of vehicular homicide in the 2010 crash that killed 23-year-old Scott Wilson.
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Deliberations resumed about 8 a.m. Friday after jurors were charged with the case Thursday afternoon.
Goodman could face up to 30 years in prison. He was taken into custody because the judge will not allow him to remain free on bond until sentencing.
The jury got the case after eight days of testimony.
On Friday morning, they asked to listen again to the 911 call Goodman made about an hour after the crash. Both sides used the tape in their arguments.
The defense said it showed Goodman was suffering from a severe head injury because on the tape, he is heard asking repeatedly where he was, despite being given the answer multiple times. His attorneys said Goodman then drank some alcohol for relief from the pain he was in.
Prosecutors said the tape proves Goodman knew he was driving under the influence because at one point, he told the dispatcher, "I'm in a lot of trouble." He also acknowledged on the tape that he hit another car.
After Goodman's conviction, Wilson's mother spoke to reporters outside the courtroom.
"Justice has been served. I'm always going to miss my son. He was the most wonderful person. I will always cherish the memories, and now, coming from me and the rest of the family and friends, it's time for the healing process to begin," Wilson's mother said.
Goodman made national headlines in 2011 when he adopted his 42-year-old girlfriend, Heather Hutchins, making her eligible to inherit a third of his estate set aside for his two children.