The Fastest Man on Earth... The Murder of Mickey Thompson

Mickey Thompson, the motorsports icon, gained international fame when he became the first American to break the 400 miles per hour barrier by driving his Challenger 1 to a speed of 406 MPH. In 1963 Thompson started a tire company in his name, contributing more to the racing community. 

In 1988, Thompson and his wife Trudy were brutally murdered outside their home in California. Mickey opened the garage door for his wife to pull out in her vehicle, and as he walked to his own car, the gunmen attacked. Thompson was shot and wounded and dragged out into the driveway. The other attacker killed Trudy and came back up the driveway and shot Mickey fatally in the head. The attackers then made their escape on the bicycles they had ridden to the Thompson residence. The Thompsons weren’t murdered for their wealth as both of them were covered in cash and expensive jewelry at the crime scene.

Police suspected Thompson’s business partner, Michael Goodwin because Michael had refused to pay Mickey a settlement. The case went unsolved until 2001 when Michael Goodwin was charged with two counts of murder. It wasn’t until 2007 that the jury found Michael guilty of the murders of Mickey and Trudy Thompson.