Victim’s sister stares down man accused in cab driver’s death

By Dave Toplikar

Monday, April 23, 2012 | 1:15 p.m.

Some of the searchers for a missing cab driver came to a Henderson courtroom today to stare down the people they think are responsible for his disappearance.

Jodi Goldberg, the sister of Keith Goldberg, said that during today's hearing she was unable to make eye contact with Georgene "Cookie" Ross, Keith's ex-girlfriend. But she did catch the eye of Cookie's husband, Christopher Ross.

"I stared him down in court," Jodi Goldberg said outside the courtroom. “I’m just so angry with them right now. I wish they would just give us a clue as to where he is so we can get some closure.”

The Rosses have both been arrested on charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with Goldberg's disappearance. He was last seen on Jan. 31.

Police say their investigation has led them to believe that Goldberg, 54, got into a fight with the Rosses at the apartment he had shared with Cookie Ross, that he was killed during the altercation, then his body was disposed of in the desert near Lake Mead.

Police said cell phone records showed Christopher Ross, 52, spent almost the entire night of Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 at the Green Valley apartment, contrary to what Ross told detectives. Officers also said Cookie Ross, 56, had been in possession of Goldberg's phone and car keys, which have never been recovered.

The police report also said phone records showed Christopher Ross spent more than six hours in the desert area surrounding Sunrise Mountain and Lake Mead Recreation area on Feb. 1, in contradiction to his statement he was moving furniture all that day.

Justice of the Peace David Gibson set a preliminary hearing for 9:30 a.m. May 23 in Henderson Justice Court.

Outside the courtroom, the missing man's sister, Jodi Goldberg, said the search for her brother's body will continue this weekend by volunteers from Red Rock Search and Rescue.

David Cummings, one of the leaders of the searchers, said about 100 volunteers helped on Saturday, searching from sunrise to sunset.

"We combed an area that we thought was a good possibility for going out again at midweek and also this weekend,” Cummings said. “We’re working an area near Lake Mead and Pabco Road.”

He said they planned to continue the search next Saturday.

Jodi Goldberg said she has been in the Las Vegas area for about a week. She said she has gone through her brother’s belongings and hosted an event for his friends.

She also met with detectives and prosecutors about information they have and went out to the search site to meet with the volunteers.

She said she also visited Cookie Ross on Sunday in jail to see if she would provide them any information in the search for her brother's body.

"She wouldn't cooperate at all," Jodi Goldberg said. “She immediately knew who I was. ... She couldn’t look at me. Her head was down the whole time. I asked her to look at me and she wouldn’t. I asked her, please give us one clue, anything you may know, one clue as to the location of Keith’s body. And she refused.”