#realtruecrime

Donald Goines was an African-American writer who’s works would often reflect the seedy aspect of inner city culture. Drugs, crime, gangs and murder were usual subject matter in his various works. 

Donald Goines lived a similar life. At the age of 15 he lied about his age to join the Air Force and fight in the Korean War. While there he developed a heroin addiction that followed him after his was discharged. He was arrested many times, and convicted of committing crimes to support his drug habit. 

During one stint in prison, Goines wrote his first novel, the autobiography ‘Iceberg Slim’ a noted pimp and activist. His book was published in 1967. 

Goines was still a heroin addict, who began to write books at a furious pace to fund his drug habit. He would write an average of one book a month. His second to last book was published under a pseudonym, Al C. Clark, because the sales of his works were suffering, he had so many books published in a short amount of time. 

In October 1974, police responded to an anonymous call sending them to the Goines apartment in Highland Park, Michigan. Donald Goines was discovered murdered in his living room, his common-law wife Shirley Sailor was found in the kitchen. The victims had multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and head. Police theorized the two were murdered by two unknown assailants. 

Some theories state that Goines was murdered over a drug debt, or for basing his characters on real criminals who were out for revenge. 

The murder of Donald Goines and Shirley Sailor remain unsolved to his day.

Left: The forensic reconstruction of the ‘Pearl Lady’. Right: Barbara Precht.

On November 29, 2006, a body was fished out of the Ohio River. The body was dressed in a black jacket and skirt combo, with a full face of makeup wearing two pearl necklaces. The Jane Doe was nicknamed the “Pearl Lady”. The Autopsy would show that had been dead for several days, and besides her body being found in a river, “no suspicious signs were noted”. The autopsy would also show that she had access to good dental care, this coupled with the fact that she was dressed well had investigators conclude that she was a woman of means, someone who would be missed. 

Despite this her body would remain unidentified until 2014, when fingerprints from a former shoplifting arrest identified the Pearl Lady as Barbara Precht, the 69 year-old mother and wife of James Precht, who never reported her as missing. Barbara Precht came from an affluent, wealthy family in Ohio. She worked in the school system and she and her husband had two daughters. 

The surroundings behind her disappearance would come to light as being very bizarre. That former shoplifting arrest occurred in 1986 when she and her family were living under assumed names. Barbara was arrested for stealing food and clothing for her daughters.  One of her daughters went on to say that one night in 1983 she heard unnamed people inside their home. Speaking to their parents in hushed voices, possibly threatening them. There was some talk about the couple having ties to the mafia or organized crime, this has never been proven.

After this the family fled the state, and lived under assumed names, the Precht’s put their children up for adoption for “their protection and so they could have better lives”

Nothing was heard from the couple until 2014, when Barbara was identified and her husband was located. He gave the police a false name causing him to be arrested and charged with Disorderly Conduct and sentenced to 25 days in jail. James Precht has done little to assist with the investigation into his wife’s death, he provided some unreliable testimony confirming his daughters story about armed intruders in their home. Investigators found some evidence of “questionable business habits and schemes”

They moved all around the country from, California to Alabama, yet James never explained why they decided to return to Ohio in 2006, presumably with target on their back. Police stated that her husband remains ‘person of interest in her death’