September 20, 2023, Peoria, IL – Today, prosecutors with the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office were able to convict Tahir J. Goodman, 29, of First-Degree Murder, a Class M Felony, and Aggravated Arson, a Class X Felony, for killing his girlfriend J’Naysia Hobbs, 24, and setting her body on fire to cover it up. It took jurors only 90 minutes to find him guilty of the charges.
Goodman, who took the stand during his trial, said he and Hobbs had only been dating for 45 days. He said the day this happened, he was angry and felt “disrespected,” so he choked Hobbs to death. Goodman used enough force to break her hyoid bone. He then set her on fire as she lay dead on her bed. Hobbs was burned beyond recognition and had to be identified using dental records.
The case is set for sentencing on November 16. Goodman is eligible for a sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections between 20-60 years on the Murder charge and 6-30 years on the Aggravated Arson charge. The sentences must be served after each other.
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