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What happened to James, Lisa Goy? Pennsylvania neighbor shoots dead couple, self after snow shoveling argument

James Goy, 50, and his wife, 48-year-old Lisa Goy, were reportedly caught in an argument with 47-year-old Jeffrey Spaide, their neighbor who lived across the street before things escalated

PLAINS, PENNSYLVANIA: On Monday, February 1, the Plains Township in Pennsylvania saw an argument over snow disposal escalate wildly into a shooting that left three people dead. Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis told the press that a husband and wife were shot to death in the street outside their home just before 9 a.m. on Monday. Salavantis said that the suspect was also found dead in his home of a self-inflicted wound. The county coroner pronounced all three dead just before 11:30 a.m. the same day.

Salavantis said the preliminary investigation indicated that there was an ongoing dispute but “this morning, the dispute was exacerbated by a disagreement over snow disposal.” Chief Dale Binker of the township police department, however, said there may have been a previous dispute that also concerned the “placement of snow in somebody’s yard.”

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What happened to James and Lisa Goy?

50-year-old James Goy and his wife, 48-year-old Lisa Goy were reportedly caught in an argument with 47-year-old Jeffrey Spaide, their neighbor who lived across the street. As per WNEP, the Goys were shoveling the snow across the road and throwing the snow onto Spaide's property.

"The Goys proceed to yell at him, and, using expletives, the parties called each other names," Salavantis and Binker said in their statement, adding that the episode was captured on surveillance video. "Mr. Goy then threatened Spaide and is seen making obscene gestures at him. Seconds later, Spaide returns holding a handgun."

The Associated Press reported that as per the police, Spaide went into his house, came out with a handgun, and fired at the couple until the weapon was empty. He then went inside, came out with an AR-15-type rifle, and fired twice more at each victim with that weapon. 

When the police arrived and knocked on the suspect’s door to arrest him, they heard a single shot. Upon entering the home, they found Spaide dead. Reportedly, a total of 15 to 20 shots were fired. The DA's office says this investigation is now closed.

Luzerne County First Assistant District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce said, "The bodies of the two victims of the gunfire from the shooter were both outside. One is the middle of the street; one is between two parked cars. That is a husband and wife. There is the person believed to be the victim the suicide victim who is the aggressor and shooter is in one of their residences, his own residence.”

Old grudges

As per Binker, this was not the first disagreement between Spaide and the Goys over snow. Two months ago, another snowstorm supposedly led to an altercation between them. He said, however, that police were not notified of that dispute and said Spaide was not known to police for any other matter.

The Goys resided at 13 West Bergh Street. Spaide’s address was 6 West Bergh Street. The Goys had a 15-year-old son with autism who is now staying with his grandparents.

Their neighbor Tyler Fisch said they knew they'd be faced with several inches of snow that morning. "It's pretty scary seeing it, you know right next door to us, so coming home to this, it's an odd feeling for this place. It's really quiet. not much goes on here. There's not much traffic," Fisch said. "It's crazy what happens when one thing rolls into another, so hopefully, there's nothing else like this around here, so we can all be safe, and you know, keep our distance and just, you know, do our own thing.”