A former New York state trooper accused of ramming his vehicle into an SUV during a high-speed chase leading to the death of 11-year-old Monica Goods was convicted of manslaughter Friday in a decision the girl’s mother said is “accountability,” but not “justice.”
Prosecutors say Christopher Baldner, 47, rammed the SUV twice on the New York State Thruway, causing it to lose control and flip over.
Monica Goods, a Brooklyn girl who was in the SUV, was killed in the December 2020 crash. Baldner’s attorneys said the accident occurred after the SUV cut the trooper off as he pulled alongside during the pursuit.
“I wouldn’t say this is justice. I would call this accountability,” Monica’s mother, Michelle Surrency, told the Daily News. “To me, justice is Monica coming back and we know that’s not going to happen. At least we stopped (Baldner) from doing this to another family.”
The retired trooper, who remained free on bail, faces a maximum of five to 15 years in prison when he is sentenced June 2.
“Hopefully this sets an example for other police officers across the country that if you do what he did, you will go to jail,” Sanford Rubenstein, an attorney for the victim’s family, told The News. “I think the attorney general should be commended for their hard work in this case, getting the result they did.”
AP Photo/Michael Hill
Former New York state trooper Christopher Baldner leaves the courtroom during his trial on Oct. 28, 2025 in Kingston, N.Y. (AP Photo/Michael Hill)
A jury acquitted Baldner of murder and reckless endangerment charges in November, but they deadlocked on a second-degree manslaughter charge. Judge Bryan Rounds declared a mistrial and a second trial on the lone remaining charge began last month.
Assistant State Attorney General Jennifer Gashi told jurors during Baldner’s latest trial that he chose to “recklessly use his patrol car as a weapon” during the chase north of New York City.
Defense attorney Anthony Ricco argued it was the driver of the SUV — Monica’s father, Tristin Goods — who acted recklessly and caused her death, according to the Daily Freeman.
Baldner pulled Tristin Goods over for speeding on the highway near Kingston the night of Dec. 22, 2020. Goods, his wife and two daughters were heading north from New York City to visit family.
goods
Gardiner Anderson for New York Daily News
Loretta Surrency (left) and Michelle Surrency, aunt and mother of Monica Goods, embrace in Downtown Brooklyn on Jan. 4, 2021. (Gardiner Anderson for New York Daily News)
Baldner and Goods argued, and the trooper pepper-sprayed the inside the vehicle. Goods drove off and Baldner pursued.
Defense attorneys said Goods collided with Baldner’s trooper car twice during the pursuit. An accident reconstruction expert for the defense testified that Goods lost control of the SUV when he overcorrected after “a very minor impact,” the newspaper reported.
goods
Court evidence
A diagram prepared by state police showing the crash that killed Monica Goods. State police accident reports say a trooper rammed the car carrying Monica from behind. (Court evidence)
Surrency has maintained pages on Tiktok, Instagram and Facebook dedicated to her late daughter, called Justice for Monica Goods, where she regularly posts videos and pictures of Monica and advertises charity events named in her memory.
“She’s not just a name, or a photo,” Surrency said of her daughter, who would be 16 years old if she were alive today. “She’s an actual child who was just living life, who just wanted to live and dream of all these things and now she no longer has that opportunity.”
Monica was sitting beside her sister, a then 12-year-old Tristina Goods, when Baldner rammed the car they were riding in. She survived the crash, but remains haunted by the death of her sister, Surrency said.
“I feel like a lot of people forget that she was there, because she survived,” the victim’s mother said. “Our lives changed tremendously that day. My younger children, I have to re-explain to them what happened to their sister, because they don’t remember it. They were 2 and 5. I remind them every day, I show them video and pics of her to keep her memory alive.”
Charles W. Murphy, president of the Police Benevolent Association of the New York State Troopers, said the union was deeply disappointed by the verdict and that Baldner was “simply following his training when he responded to a rapidly evolving and highly dangerous situation.”
“This outcome sends a troubling message to all law enforcement officers who must make split-second decisions to protect the public,” Murphy said in a written statement.
Surrency sees it differently.
“He should have protected (my family),” said Surrency. “His job was to protect them. He didn’t do that. He didn’t use his training. He did what he was used to doing. He’s used to doing crimes and hiding behind a badge and not being held accountable. Finally, he’s accountable.”
Baldner retired in 2022 after almost 20 years with the state police.