Goins was raised by his mother who frequently used drugs in the presence of Goins.  During his childhood Goins had virtually no positive adult role models in his family.  His mother and aunt were drug abusers, another aunt died of AIDS contracted through intervenous drug use, and he had an uncle who served time in prison.   Because his mother abused him, at the age of 12 Goins was forced to move to New York to live with his grandmother.  His aunt, who provided mitigating evidence at his trial, testified that "Goins' mother never held, hugged, or nurtured any of her children.  According to Dickerson [his aunt], Goins was devastated when his grandmother died, because she was the only person who had shown him any love."  Goins' cousins also testified to the abuse Goins suffered as a child and stated that Goins was a kind man who liked to play with his six-year-old cousin Phillip. 

Goins contested the Commonwealth's admission into evidence videotape of the crime scene.  He felt that it provided no new evidence in the case because the identity of the victims was not contested.  He believed that it would bias the jury more than it would help enlighten the case.  However, both the trial court and the Appellate court disagreed with Goins and found that the tape could be admitted because it displayed motive, and intent 

Goins also argues that he should have been able to view the results of the polygraph test given to Barry Scott who was present during the commission of the crime. Goins believed that he was entitled to any evidence which might help to prove his innocence.  Because the Commonwealth's  attorney stated he would have revealed any information to Goins which would have indicated his innocence, both the trial court and the Appellate court ruled that it was not necessary for Goins to view the results of the polygraph test. 

In addition, Goins appealed the playing of the 911 call make by Tamika.  During the conversation Tamika implicates Goins in the murders even though she witness the crimes.   He believed that the statement was hearsay and thus inadmissible in court.  However, because Tamika was in a state of ôexcited utterance,ö both the trial court and the Appellate court ruled that the taped was admissible. 

Goins entered death row on July 20,1995 and was executed on Dec 6, 2000.