Maxine Arnold

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Metropolitan Police Service Scotland (YARD)

Offense Location:

Walthamstow, England

Summary:

Maxine Arnold, 32, worked in an insurance office and had been in a relationship with Terry Gooderham, 39, an accountant and auditor for pubs and wine bars. On December 22, 1989, the couple was shot and killed in Gooderham's parked Mercedes in Epping Forest near London. The double murder remains unsolved more than thirty years later.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

On December 22, 1989, the couple was having dinner in their Walthamstow flat before going out with friends. At around 6:45 p.m., a work colleague called Maxine, and she seemed in a hurry after hanging up, telling Terry they had to go somewhere. They rushed out, leaving their half-eaten meal on the table, a gas fire burning, and Christmas tree lights on, with Maxine even leaving her purse behind and Terry neglecting to take his wallet. The pair drove in Terry's black Mercedes toward Epping Forest, where they were shot in the head with a 12-bore shotgun. At around 4 a.m. on December 23, 1989, a patrol car came across the Mercedes, its engine still running.

Additional Details:

Maxine had married Jonathan Arnold in 1979 in a short marriage, before dating businessman Terry Gooderham by 1982. Terry was a playboy who spent half the week with Maxine and the other half with another girlfriend, though it has been said both women knew of each other's existence. It was initially assumed the phone call Maxine received was deliberately calculated to lure them to a particular area. Investigators hypothesized that Terry may have come across some shady dealings while doing the books at the pub where he worked and was killed for what he knew, but police admitted it was only a theory, and the true motive is still completely unknown. During the investigation, it came to light that Terry was seeing another woman behind Maxine's back. The mistress was questioned about the crime but ultimately dismissed as a suspect. Scotland Yard had the names of four gangland figures within days of the killings, but internal reports suggest corrupt police were protecting the suspects. Maxine's mother Violet died without getting justice for her daughter, without seeing justice for a daughter who was an innocent and in the proverbial wrong place at the wrong time.

Case Last Updated:

Sep 13, 2026