SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) — It’s been almost a year since 34-year-old Cynthia Carver went missing.
The man accused of killing Carver appeared in court on Tuesday for a preliminary hearing.
James Goodwyn, 39, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Carver, who was found dead in a wooded area of Suffolk a month after she was reported missing from her Newsoms home in Southampton County last February.
Four witnesses took the stand during the preliminary hearing: three law enforcement officers and Carver’s mother.
Detectives said one of Carver’s acrylic fingernails was left at the bloody scene inside her home, as well as a knife.
A criminal complaint in the investigation showed there was a match between Goodwyn’s DNA and the underside of Carver’s right fingernail, and his shoes were similar in design to the footwear impression made on the floor of Carver’s home.
The prosecutor says he plans on arguing the DNA found under the nail and the DNA on the handle of the knife belong to Goodwyn.
A search warrant also revealed Goodwyn lied to a deputy about having met with Carver on Feb. 21, 2019 — the night she was last seen — saying he only spoke with her through Facebook Messenger.
One of the detectives on the case testified Goodwyn initially lied and said he was with his cousin when Carver disappeared, but then later admitted to going to her home but said he never got out of the car.
The deputy who transported Goodwyn from jail once also testified she heard Goodwyn say “they’re trying to charge me with premeditated first-degree murder like I meant to kill her.”
Goodwyn’s attorney went against the DNA evidence, saying the results of the DNA test weren’t specific enough, and statistics-wise could match more than 100 people in the area.
The family declined to talk Tuesday but a close family friend says overall they’ve been disappointed with how slowly the case has been moving.
Goodwyn is expected back in court March 26.
