Ventnor Man Who Turned Himself Into Galloway Police Indicted on Murder and Weapon Charges

MAYS LANDING – An Atlantic County Grand Jury has indicted a Ventnor man for the murder of a 15-year-old boy nearly 23 years ago, acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced today.

Thursday, May 16, Steven L. Goff, now 41, of Hillside Avenue, was indicted on one count of murder and weapons offenses.

On April 1, at approximately 6 a.m., Goff turned himself in to the Galloway Township Police Department.

Goff was subsequently charged with the murder of Frederick Hart, 15, of Galloway Township. When Goff was 18 years old, he allegedly stabbed Hart multiple times with a knife in the woods behind the Clubs Condominiums in Galloway Township on May 8, 1990.

On May 9, 1990, the day after the murder, Hart was reported missing. In December of 1991, over a year and a half later, a hunter discovered human remains in the woods, which were later positively identified as Hart. The cause of death was unable to be determined from the remains.

Goff remains lodged at the Atlantic County Justice Facility on $1 million cash bail set by Superior Court Judge Max A. Baker. Murder, a crime of the first-degree, carries a sentence of between 30 years to life without parole in New Jersey State Prison.

***The indictment is merely an accusation and not proof of guilt. In all criminal cases, an indicted defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Anyone with information involving serious crimes is asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-909-7800 or go to the Prosecutor’s Office Web site at http://www.acpo.org/tips.html and provide information by filling out the form anonymously on the Submit a Tip page. People can also call Crime Stoppers at 609-652-1234 or 1-800-658-8477 (TIPS) or visit the Crime Stoppers Website at http://www.crimestoppersatlantic.com/. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards for information leading to the arrest and indictment of those who commit crimes in Atlantic County.