LEONARDTOWN, MD – A St. Mary’s County judge has handed down a 61-year sentence to Michelina Desiree Goodwin, 46, for the murder and dismemberment of her boyfriend, James Volodimir Nalborczyk, 50.
Following an eight-day trial in March, a jury found Goodwin guilty of second-degree murder, use of a firearm in a felony, and unauthorized disposal of a body, leading to the maximum possible sentence.
State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling described the crime as particularly brutal, highlighting that Goodwin shot Nalborczyk in the back, then dismembered his body, dispersing his remains across multiple counties. The details of the case underscored the heinous nature of the acts committed.
Nalborczyk was reported missing by his family on December 21, 2022, after being unaccounted for 10 days. A subsequent investigation by the Maryland State Police suggested foul play in his disappearance. Both Goodwin and Larry Murphy, 40, also of Great Mills, were implicated in the murder.
Murphy, charged with first and second-degree murder, as well as being an accessory after the fact and improper disposal of a body, was arrested alongside Goodwin.
The findings of the investigation led to the recovery of Nalborczyk’s remains in remote areas within Charles and St. Mary’s Counties. An autopsy was conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to further investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
