Woman loses her million-dollar jackpot

Friday, Oct. 28, 2005 | 6:59 a.m.

Christina Goodenow, 38, of White City was lodged without bail in the Jackson County Jail on charges of theft, forgery, identity theft, credit card fraud, possession of methamphetamine, computer crime and a parole violation.

If convicted, Goodenow will not be able to collect the prize money because fraud was used to purchase the winning ticket, police said.

Oregon Lottery officials refused to discuss specifics of the case, citing the active investigation.

"I'll be fascinated to see how this shakes out," spokesman Chuck Baumann said. "In my 12 years with the Oregon Lottery, this is the first time I've encountered something like this."

Goodenow purchased the winning ticket Oct. 9 in Central Point, using a credit card that belonged to her mother-in-law, Inez Cornett, who died more than a year ago, police said.

Goodenow made the trip Oct. 12 to Oregon Lottery headquarters in Salem to accept a check of $33,500. The $1 million grand prize is paid out over 20 years.

Medford police detectives began tracking Goodenow on Oct. 26 after learning that she had used the credit card to purchase items throughout the Rogue Valley, including the $1 million lottery ticket, said Lt. Tim George of the Medford Police Department.

A search warrant served at her home Thursday turned up some methamphetamine, but little money, George said.

"Our investigation is still trying to determine what happened to the $33,500," George said.