Film & TV4 min(s) read
Devastating moment Ghost Adventures star discovers his wife’s murder-for-hire plot during filming
While filming at the deserted and reportedly haunted Hollydale Mental Hospital in Downey, California, paranormal investigator and television host Aaron Goodwin received an unexpected and traumatic phone call.
The footage - featured in season 28 of Ghost Adventures - captures the moment Aaron says, “I feel like something’s happening,” before his co‑star’s voice‑over sets the scene: “Suddenly, Aaron gets a notification on his phone, and we can sense something is wrong.”
He then cautions the crew: “Dude, hang on a second,” and finally informs them, “Bro, the police are at my house. I gotta go outside.” According to court documents and news reports, the call conveyed that Aaron’s wife was under arrest in connection with a murder‑for‑hire plot against him.
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His wife, Victoria Goodwin, age 32, was arrested on March 6, 2025 in Las Vegas and charged with solicitation to commit murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Legal records show she had been communicating with a Florida inmate, Grant Amato, who is serving life in prison for killing his family.
The communications between Victoria and Amato allegedly included payment negotiations and the sharing of Aaron’s filming schedule and location details. One of the messages read: “Am I a bad person? Because I chose to end his existence. Not divorce.” Investigators also found evidence that Victoria had set aside approximately $11,515 for the plot, including an upfront payment of $2,500 according to police reports.
Aaron filed for divorce on March 12, 2025, just days after Victoria’s arrest, officially citing “no possibility of reconciliation.” During sentencing proceedings, he testified that discovering “someone I trusted [with my] whole heart and laughed every day with” had “put a hit out to kill me more than once… has led me to fear [for] my life.” In his victim impact statement he said, “The fact that this person, who had no worry, care or love in her heart, did all this to me, I’ll never be able to feel safe.”
The legal path and sentencing outcome
Victoria Goodwin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit murder on April 12, 2025. As part of the plea deal prosecutors dropped the solicitation charge. She appeared before Judge Nadia Krall in Clark County, Nevada on June 5, 2025, and was sentenced to a term of 3 to 7½ years in prison, with credit given for roughly 92 days time‑served. Prior to sentencing, Victoria addressed the court directly, saying: “Firstly, and most importantly, I would like to apologize to Aaron. I’m so immensely sorry for the pain and anxiety I’ve caused you and the betrayal you undoubtedly and rightfully feel by my actions.” She also admitted to the court: “This is my rock bottom. This is not a reflection of who I am.”
Court filings show that investigators discovered the alleged plot when prison officials found a contraband phone in Amato’s possession, which revealed messages between him and Victoria. The messages included Victoria providing locations for Aaron - such as hotel stays and filming times - and also sharing Apple “Find My” tracking data. Detectives noted Victoria told them she started communicating with Amato around May 2024, after watching a documentary about him titled Ctrl+Alt+Desire. She told police she was going through marital issues and felt lonely, and claimed initially that she did not remember sending the messages and thought some of the funds were meant for cell phones.
Following the arrest, Aaron Goodwin expressed publicly that he felt blindsided and described the incident as the “worst year” of his life. He posted on Instagram an image of the hospital hallway and explained: “This next episode of [Ghost Adventures] is when I got the FaceTime call from the cops. They were in my house & told me what she did & she was arrested. I won’t be watching this episode cause I don’t want to relive that night again & what happened before the call.” He also acknowledged hiring armed security and continuing therapy because of the lingering fear he said he can’t shake.
What this means for the show and those involved
For viewers of Ghost Adventures and followers of Aaron Goodwin’s career, the revelation that this personal crisis unfolded while filming gives the show a dramatic and unsettling real‑life turn. The October episode features this moment of discovery, adding a raw emotional layer to what is typically a paranormal investigation.
Aaron’s life now appears to have shifted in major ways. His public statements indicate that trust has been shattered, safety feels elusive, and his personal and professional worlds have merged under extraordinary stress. Victoria Goodwin will serve out her sentence, with her earliest possible release date layered over the minimum term imposed.