Mourning Nevaeh ‘River’ Goddard: The Brutal Killing Of A 17 Year Old Nonbinary Teen in Massachusetts — Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents

The tragic death of 17 year old River Goddard, also known as Phoenix and Nevaeh has rocked their Rhode Island and Massachusetts communities. We have also learned that River identified as nonbinary.

The Crime

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children listeed River as a missing child since April 2022, around age 15.

On Friday, April 3, 2024 police in Stow, Massachusetts responded to a request for a welfare check.

When authorities got to the home, they said Shane Curry, 20, of Stow was at the door and wouldn’t let investigators inside for nearly two hours.

When police gained access, they said they found Goddard dead inside.

Police said Curry told them he stabbed Goddard with a sword. Officers later found a sword inside Curry’s bedroom.

Curry was charged with assault and battery on a household or family member and assault and battery causing serious bodily injury. An autopsy will be done to determine Goddard’s official cause of death and the Middlesex County DA said additional charges are possible.