Carlos R. Aguilar murder of Roberta Goforth

Carlos Raymond Aguilar participated in the killing of Roberta Goforth in Traskwood, Arkansas, in July 2004.

Authorities said Goforth was speaking on the phone with her sister when she was shot. The sister summoned law enforcement after hearing the incident unfold. Police said Goforth died from a gunshot wound to the arm.

Investigators arrested Aguilar, then 54 years old, and his son, Charles Raymond Aguilar, 30, in connection with the killing. An affidavit stated that each blamed the shooting on the other. Both men were held in county jail on $1 million bonds.

Court records show Goforth had filed a police report in May 2004 with the Traskwood Police Department, stating the Aguilars had threatened her. She told investigators she owed Carlos Aguilar $450 to $500 for marijuana.

Authorities also arrested Toshia Kenner, 24, and charged her with hindering apprehension or prosecution and filing a false report of wrongdoing related to the case.

In March 2005, Aguilar pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and residential burglary. The court sentenced him to consecutive terms totaling 30 years in prison. He entered the Arkansas prison system on March 23, 2005.

Aguilar later challenged the Arkansas Department of Correction’s calculation of his parole eligibility. In 2011, the Arkansas Supreme Court upheld the denial of his petition.

Aguilar, 76, is currently housed at the North Central Unit in Calico Rock. His earliest projected release date is December 24, 2026.