Yelling, chilling scream heard

A WOMAN has described hearing a long scream that went weak and suddenly stopped hours before her neighbour was found dead in his Ingham home.

Lucia Fantin lives a few doors down from Lance Godbold, a 66- year- old man who police believe died in suspicious circumstances on Wednesday morning.

Mrs Fantin said she awakened about 3am to arguments and a woman yelling.

“And then I could hear somebody putting something into a vehicle at a few minute intervals before starting again,” she said.

“And then the argument kept going.

“Just before 4am, I heard a man screaming like he was in very severe pain.

“And it was a long scream, and towards the end it was weak, and then it stopped.

“The ending of that yelling, was very … I don’t know … but I said to myself ‘ something wrong happened’.”

Mr Godbold was found by his wife Lynn on the first level of their Conroy St home on Wednesday morning.

He had a head injury with minor bleeding and blood on his face.

It was initially believed he had suffered a medical episode.

Police ruled the death nonsuspicious until that afternoon, when a neighbour called with information that changed the course of the investigation.

Detectives now believe Mr Godbold had been in an altercation with a man about 183cm tall, with a solid build and a dark complexion, between 3.30am and 4.30am in the front yard of his home.

The 66- year- old managed to get back into his home before collapsing.

Emergency services could not resuscitate him when they were called about 6.30am.

Detective Inspector Chris Lawson said police were yet to determine suspects and were waiting for the results of a post mortem examination.

“We’re not sure ( if a weapon is involved), we’re still trying to figure out what happened,” he said.

Mr Godbold, a truck driver, was described by neighbours as a “happy fella”.

Police continued to patrol and doorknock residents in Conroy St yesterday.