Inset: Robert S. Goodletson (Brown County Sheriff's Office). Background: The Hammer Inn in Green Bay where Goodletson allegedly stabbed his ex-wife's friend (Google Maps).
A 47-year-old man in Wisconsin has been arrested after he allegedly stabbed another man inside a bar on Halloween, claiming the victim was "sleeping with his wife" and "lucky" to be alive after the encounter.
Robert Stanley Goodletson was taken into custody and charged with one count of attempted first-degree intentional homicide with use of a dangerous weapon modifier, court records show.
Officers with the Green Bay Police Department responded to the Hammer Inn, a bar in the 1200 block of State Street, at about 8:45 p.m. on Oct. 31 regarding a report of a stabbing, the Green Bay Press Gazette reported, citing the criminal complaint. Police were notified that the victim had been stabbed inside the bar but left soon after with the suspected assailant following close behind.
Upon arriving, first responders said they located the victim just outside the establishment suffering from what appeared to be several stab wounds to the chest and a large laceration on his head. Emergency medical personnel provided on-scene treatment and transported him to St. Vincent Hospital where he was able to provide police with a statement.
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The victim said he and Goodletson's ex-wife were at the Hammer Inn when Goodletson saw them and became visibly upset.
"Robert [Goodletson] began yelling at me across the bar," the victim told police, according to Green Bay Fox affiliate WLUK. "I walked over to [Goodletson] and he grabbed on to me. I do not remember how I got away but I walked outside and was told I was bleeding. Police then showed up."
While the victim was being treated, police said they located Goodletson behind the Hammer Inn and took him into custody. During his arrest, officers reportedly observed blood on his hands and recovered a knife, which they said was sheathed on his belt.
Following his arrest, Goodletson allegedly began talking about his attack on the victim.
"[Goodletson] told us that the male [victim] was sleeping with his wife, and they weren't even divorced," police reportedly wrote in the affidavit. "He also made a comment about him being a concealed weapon permit holder and that we were lucky that he didn't kill the guy. As he was explaining the reasons behind the stabbing, he also claimed he was acting in self-defense."
Surveillance footage from inside the bar reportedly showed Goodletson yelling, "No f—ing way" as he spotted the victim and began "walking rapidly" toward the victim and confronting him. Goodletson can then allegedly be seen pushing the victim against a wall using his left hand while holding the knife in his right hand and repeatedly stabbing the victim.
Goodletson is being held in the Brown County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bond, records show. He made his initial appearance in court on Tuesday and is currently scheduled to return on Nov. 18.