Man Who Lured Teen Girl From Maine Shoots, Kills Self

SMYRNA, GA — A man accused of abducting a 14-year-old girl from Maine shot and killed himself on Tuesday as police officers in Smyrna were closing in on him, according to police.

Smyrna Police executed a search warrant at a home on Parks Edge Drive at about 8 a.m. on Tuesday looking for 35-year-old Robert Gooden, according to police spokesman Sgt. Louis Defense. As officers entered the home, they heard a gunshot and later found Gooden dead, he said.

The girl, who Maine authorities say had been missing since Feb. 27, was found inside the home.

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Defense said the Maine State Police reached out to local authorities on Monday, saying they believed Gooden may be in the area. Gooden was staying with a family member in Smyrna, according to Defense.

"This is a tragedy, not only for Mr. Gooden, but for the young lady," Defense said. "There are no winners here, only losers. This is a tragic situation that we wish had a different outcome."

In Maine, the Kennebec Journal reports that Gooden is from Georgia and met the 14-year-old girl online. The paper quotes police sources saying she had been in a foster home and rode from Maine to Georgia with Gooden on a bus.

Maine authorities were preparing to charge Gooden with criminal restraint, a misdemeanor charge used for people who entice minors away from their homes.

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