Winchester Doctor Suspected of Murder Dies in Prison
Dr. Timothy Stryker of Winchester was the prime suspect in the 1993 murder of Dr. Linda Goudey of Stoneham.
Seventeen years ago Dr. Linda Goudey, 42, of Stoneham was found dead inside her Saab at the New England Memorial Hospital in Stoneham on Oct. 4, 1993.
The prime suspect in Goudey’s murder was Winchester resident, Dr. Timothy Stryker. According to Diane Wiffin, director of public affairs for the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, Stryker died Wednesday, Jan. 12 at 9:25 p.m. at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital in Boston. Wiffin said Stryker's death was anticipated.
“[Wednesday’s] news of Timothy Stryker’s death is both sad and disappointing,” said Middlesex District Attorney, Gerry Leone. “Sad, in that he leaves behind a wife and three daughters. Disappointing, in that we had an active investigation into his suspected killing of Dr. Linda Goudey, and were encouraged by the progress we were making, and confident that we would be able to provide some measure of closure and justice in the criminal courts for Lin’s family.”
Stryker, Goudey’s boyfriend at the time at the time of her death, moved to Winchester 10 years ago and was never charged with her murder, but remained a prime suspect throughout the investigation.
At the time of his death, Stryker was serving a four-year sentence for pleading guilty to perjury in 2009.
In 2006, the Winchester doctor lost a civil verdict and was found responsible for the wrongful death of Goudey. The court ordered Stryker to pay $15 million (including interest) to the family.
The following year, a motion was filed by Stryker for a new civil case. There was an affidavit from witness Craig Pizzano who claimed he saw Goudey parked in her car with a man who looked like “Boomer Esiason” just before her death.
In the spring of 2008, Pizzano recanted his story and informed police that Stryker offered him thousands of dollars to concoct the story. In April of 2009, Stryker pleaded guilty to perjury charges.
“Tim Stryker orchestrated the most serious of frauds upon the court and the Rafuse family and attempted to frustrate our criminal investigation into the murder of Dr. Goudey,” Leone said at the time.
Stoneham Police could not be reached for comment on Thursday. The investigation into the murder of Linda Goudey will now come to an end.
“With his death [Wednesday], we will be forced to close the book on our criminal investigation, as Stryker was, and remains, our only suspect,” Leone said. “On behalf of the brother and mother of Lin Goudey, we do ask members of the public to please come forward with any information they might have in this matter, now that Stryker is dead and fear of retribution is not warranted.”
Rex Holland
2:08 am on Friday, January 28, 2011
I was Tim's classmate and friend in high school and college. I am very saddened by his death, and can only pray that he has found peace. He was one of the most brilliant people I have known, and I grieve for him and his family. I also hope that the Goudey family can find healing and peace. This is a bitter tragedy and it just breaks my heart. Rex
nancy boyd
2:30 am on Friday, April 1, 2011
His guilt ate at him, hence the cancer that killed him. I thought, at the time, that he should have been given a harsher sentence. As it turns out, the four years were a sentence of life in prison. Now he can spend eternity in Hell.
MDev
1:11 am on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
I think, as was said, he was a control freak and when Lynn told him she was breaking up he more or less responded that's not your place to decide it's mine. He lost his temper to think that she would even "dare" to make that decision, and in a rage killed her.
Nikole
3:50 am on Friday, September 7, 2012
Nancy you said perfect. Karma dealt him the hand he deserved. Life in prison.
MichaelF
3:22 am on Thursday, October 18, 2012
I was a patient of his and did not like him. He was condecending and took a "could care less" attitude with me as a patient. When I learned of this case I immediately left his practice.
I believe he had a dark side that no one ever knew about. After just watching his story on again on ID I learned of his death. While I do not wish cancer on anyone, it was appropriate that he died in prison.
Breezie
9:31 pm on Monday, October 22, 2012
Wow! A perfect death for a not so perfect murderer. He was a manipulative, self righteous, condescending liar!
Lulu Ross
11:29 pm on Thursday, November 8, 2012
I watched the story on ID and he seemed like he definitely had a dark side to him, and was a controlling and abusive man. He lied about her murder and his character was proven at the end when he fabricated the Final lie.
Julie
10:34 pm on Monday, December 31, 2012
The whole story is sad. What I can't get over is how young this guy looked....even as he approached 60 with murder on his conscience. I'm surprised it didn't age him considerably but maybe that's why he developed cancer? Maybe it ate away at him inside? But like I said, the whole thing is sad; sad for Lin, sad for Dr. Stryker's family, and sad for his wife and children. And sad that he died the way he did. No winners in this situation.
Patricia Stroop
4:24 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
I watch that show on CI in Australia and I couldn't believe how unemotional the man was. How can someone be in such control answereing questions in that interview. As soon as a so called witness came forward after 15 years, that was when I knew he was her killer. What a waste of a wonderful doctor Lyn Goudey. I believe he got what was coming to him. He thought he was smarter than all the police on this case. To his wife and children who will have to carry this burden all their lives because of what he did. Justice was served.
Troy Picton
4:34 pm on Saturday, April 20, 2013
Listen up all of you who are without sin and cast the first stones. I see a brilliant man who was wrongfully accused of a murder that he did not commit and a man who was charged and found guilty of murder in a civil suit and was about to be financially ruined for the rest of his life at a 15 million dollar judgement imposed aginst him! If I knew that I was innocent of all charges and was still going to "LOSE EVERYTHING IN MY LIFE THAT I HAD SPIRITUALLY, EMOTIONALLY AND PHYSICALLY WORKED TOWARD," I may have tried to "lie out of pure desperation" to find a way out of the unfair situation that I was being thrust into, just because I was dating the deceased party at the time of her death. If Timothy Stryker was your son or your husband of 20 years and the father of your children and you were sitting in that courtroom waiting for the verdict, would you look to the jury and think that "Yes, it will be fair and just, that based on the factual evidense presented, my (insert your sons name here) should spend the rest of his life in prison! Again, if this story was about your son, would you be fine with the outcome? Remember that statistically ovey 7 percent of the prison population for acts aginst humanity are innocent people! Don't be so quick to judge because someday it could be you or one of your loved ones. P.S. I have absolutely no affiliation to Dr. Stryker and have never posted my opinion about anything. I just feel extremely strong that he is innocent of this murder.