GREENSBORO, N.C. — A Guilford County jury has found Brandon Christopher Hyde guilty of second-degree murder in the 2021 shooting death of former professional baseball player Jeffrey Michael Goldbach, according to the district attorney’s office.
Hyde, 37, is scheduled to be sentenced on March 17 at 9:30 a.m. in courtroom 4C. The trial began February 2, and the jury returned the guilty verdict on February 13.
Goldbach, 41, was shot and killed on the night of March 7, 2021, while walking home. Another person was also wounded in the incident. Goldbach, drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1998, spent his professional career in the minor leagues.
Goldbach’s family released a statement on February 13, 2026, saying the jury “saw through the defendant’s lies and held him accountable for taking Jeff’s life.” They described Goldbach as “a loving father of three, a devoted son, brother and uncle, a loyal friend, and a man who had so much life left to live. Brandon Hyde took all of that from us.”
The family expressed gratitude to the jury, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, prosecutors, and court staff, noting, “Their professionalism and dedication to justice have meant more to our family than words can express.” They also thanked the community for supporting them during the nearly five-year wait for justice.
“Jeff was taken from us, and no verdict can bring him back,” the statement continued. “But today, for the first time in nearly five years, our family has a measure of justice. We will continue to honor Jeff’s memory in everything we do, and the family will be attending and speaking at the sentencing hearing on March 17 to ensure that the court understands the full measure of what we have lost.”
