Washington state man convicted of murder at Overland Hotel in Churchill County

A Washington state transient was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole on Jan. 16 for the murder of another boarder at the Overland Hotel nearly two years ago.

The jury of six men and six women also convicted Mitchell Keith Goodrum of the attempted murder of a 41-year-old woman after a week of listening to testimony from witnesses and law enforcement officers in the Tenth District Court. In addition to the murder and attempted murder convictions, the jury found Goodrum guilty of battery with a deadly weapon causing substantial bodily hard and assault with a deadly weapon.

Senior District Court Judge Robert Estes will sentence Goodrum on the three remaining charges on March 22.

The incident occurred on an Tuesday evening in 2017. Fallon Police Department dispatch received a call on March 21, 2017, at about 6:20 p.m. indicating a man was bleeding at the Overland Hotel on 125 E. Center St. After the call was received, an officer arrived at the scene, and paramedics from Banner Churchill Community Hospital arrived shortly thereafter. Fallon Police reported an employee of the hotel’s restaurant was doing work there when Goodrum came into the dining area. A dispute broke out between him and the employee, but another hotel guest who was in the dining area, Warren Edward Butler, 72, became involved in the dispute.

“The suspect pulled a knife and started stabbing numerous times,” said Capt. Ron Wenger at the time. “The victim succumbed to his injuries at Banner.”

The court document at Goodum’s arraignment stated he stabbed Butler at least 15 times with a knife. The complaint also stated the defendant stabbed the Overland employee in the neck, shoulder and torso causing substantial bodily harm.

Wenger said the Washoe County medical examiner performed the autopsy on Butler.