Man thrown from balcony dies of injuries

By Times Staff Writer
Published September 17, 2007

Joshua Goodin, 25, of Tampa, died this weekend from injuries sustained after his brother-in-law threw him from a third-floor hotel balcony Wednesday.

Charges against Goodin's brother-in-law, U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class William Donahue, 21, have been upgraded from attempted murder to second-degree murder.

Goodin and Donahue, who lives at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, were staying at the Sea Stone Resort on S Gulfview Boulevard with family and friends. The two had several arguments that day, according to Elizabeth Daly-Watts, Clearwater's public safety spokeswoman.

Donahue threw Goodin over the railing of a third-floor breezeway about 4:10 a.m., Daly-Watts said. Goodin landed on concrete. Alcohol was a factor in the incident, officials said.

Lt. Rachel Sherburne, a public affairs officer at Langley, said Donahue is assigned to the First Communications Squad, where his job is communications cable antennae system apprentice. Sherburne said he was on military leave at the time of the incident. Donahue joined the Air Force on Nov. 1, 2006, and Langley was his first duty station.

[Last modified September 17, 2007, 00:29:21]