After years of delays, murder trial for Savannah man begins as dog-fighting case looms

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Jury selection began in the trial for Isaiah Goodman on Monday. He’s the Savannah man charged with murder in Garden City in 2020.

The trial officially starts tomorrow after 5 years. All the while--- 32-year-old Michael Peguese’s family waits for justice.

Just before Independence Day in 2020, officers say Isaiah Goodman shot and killed Peguese on Oak Street.

A manhunt took place over the next week to get him behind bars... Between COVID and a judge recusing himself, this case has seen many delays over the years.

Now, 12 strangers on the jury will decide his fate this week, but on the horizon is another case against Goodman.

While out on bond in that murder case, he was arrested last year for running a dog-fighting ring, police say, in his backyard.

The two cases will have separate trials.... The murder trial is happening first, and the other case could move forward in the coming months.

Victims in his dogfighting case are awaiting their day in court, they say.

Prosecutors say it was Goodman’s own decisions that landed him in even more trouble while out on bond for murder.

At the end of last year, 28 dogs were seized from the family’s Walton Street backyard. You can find that coverage here.

He’s now facing multiple charges in that case for animal cruelty.

Video shows the woods in the back, filled with makeshift sheds and run-down dog houses, along with tethers and chains.

Police say many of the dogs had visible brain damage, open wounds, and other fighting injuries. Officers also described a hidden fighting pit.

He pleaded not guilty to all of his dog-fighting and animal cruelty charges.

At that time, we introduced you to Tiny Dancer...She was one of 28 dogs seized that day and one of 12 still alive now.

She just underwent major surgery since we last saw her.

“She’s a little rocket of like a powerhouse for what she’s been through and how trusting she is ‚” said Tiny Dancer’s foster mom, Sabrina Lilly.

Sabrina Lilly says it’s her resilience and smile that made her want to help nurture Tiny Dancer back to health.

“It’s a lot of these dogs, that after they haven’t had any toys in their entire life, they’re like ‘what is this’?

Angels for the Underdogs, donors, and a canine behaviorist, Jen Deane, raised nearly $5,000 for Tiny Dancer’s recent double patella surgery.

“She was at the Chatham County shelter and I pulled her out of there because I knew she would never make it out with those significant injuries. So she’s been with me for a very long time. She had some other medical issues come up that I had to resolve. Um, she had all kinds of problems as a result of being kept outside and the conditions that she was kept in. She really needed a lot of TLC. And we finally were able to get a surgeon to look at her and we got, we’re able to get an angel donor to step up and fund her surgery. It was close to $4,000 for her surgery because it was both knees and that was with a rescue discount.”

Jen Deane, who rescued Tiny Dancer

“Unfortunately, the alleged perpetrator is not the one who’s paying for this. The dog is, and the organizations are people that step in,” said Deane.

They’re hoping to find her a forever home now that she’s healed... And one that can offer her the life she deserves.

While Deane and Lilly hope the dogs from this case continue to heal, they too hope this story serves as a reminder, they say, of Goodman’s other victims--- while this murder case goes through court.

Court resumes on Tuesday morning at 9 a.m.

As far as helping Tiny Dancer, if you’re interested: “She is very dog-friendly. She loves other dogs. She’s a bit of a toy hoarder, though. So she loves toys so much that she collects them all in a nice little pile in front of her. If anybody wants to adopt her, they can reach out to Angels for the Underdogs at angelsfortheunderdogs@gmail.com or visit their Instagram page here.

If anybody wants to help donate toward other dogs, the non-profit is in the middle of several dog-fighting cases right now. For that link, you can click here.