Toledo man gets 9 years in prison for killing wife

Christopher Gould appears Thursday in Lucas County Common Pleas Court.

A Toledo man who was arrested after shooting his wife in the face during a drunken fight was sentenced to nine years in prison Thursday after entering a plea in Lucas County Common Pleas Court.

Christopher Gould, 52, pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter with a gun specification. Per the negotiated plea, murder charges were dismissed and Judge Frederick McDonald sentenced Gould to nine years in prison.

Brenda Gould, 46, was killed Dec. 16 as a result of a fatal gunshot to the face. The apartment at 6215 Jackman Rd. that the couple shared was in complete disarray when police arrived.

Jeff Lingo, chief of the criminal division for the Lucas County prosecutor’s office, said in court that the negotiated plea was a result of “evidentiary concerns” and that both the family and investigating officer agreed to the resolution.

Mr. Lingo said that the death was the result of a fight between the spouses that “escalated to where weapons were introduced into the matter.” The investigation showed that both husband and wife had guns and that both were drinking heavily, he said.

Mr. Lingo noted that blood patterns showed that Mrs. Gould had a gun in her hand and there was evidence that it was fired.

Tearful family members attended the hearing, including Mrs. Gould’s adult children, but declined to speak prior to sentencing or after the court proceeding concluded.