Closing arguments underway in former HPD Officer Gerald Goines' murder trial
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The closing arguments of the Gerald Goines felony murder trial are getting underway Tuesday on the 14th floor of the Harris County Criminal Justice Center.
People lined up early to get inside the courtroom and watch the coda to this two-week trial, almost six years in the making. It's a standing-room-only courtroom, with a few people sitting on the floor. In the audience are family members of Rhogena Nicholas and Dennis Tuttle, the two victims. Police officers who testified, as well as the head of the police union, are also present. In addition, Elyse Lanier, Houston's former first lady and a supporter of defendant Goines, is present, as she has been through most of the trial.
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District Attorney Kim Ogg and her immediate lieutenants arrived at about 10:30 a.m. The closing arguments, which were supposed to start at 10 a.m., were running behind as attorneys hashed out the final details of the complicated charging instructions.
It was on Jan. 28, 2019, when a Houston police narcotics unit, led by Case Agent Gerald Goines, broke open the door of the Tuttle home at 7815 Harding Street, trying to serve a no-knock warrant.
The ensuing minutes involved officers shooting to death the couple's dog, Star, Tuttle returning fire, and officers shooting back. Within minutes, the dog, Tuttle, and Nicholas would be dead. Four officers, including Goines himself, would be hurt. In the immediate aftermath, then-HPD Chief Art Acevedo painted the couple as drug dealers who were a danger to society.
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But by Jan. 29, 2019, it was clear that would not be the case. The couple were longtime homeowners and residents. Neighbors described them as dog-loving and generally good neighbors who suffered from a number of medical conditions.
In the weeks and months that followed, it became clear that Goines lied in trying to obtain the no-knock warrant. He would eventually be charged with felony murder. Several other officers were charged with other alleged crimes, but Goines was also the focus.
Getting to trial took more than five years. During that time, Nicholas' brother, John, died. Then, finally, on Sept. 9, 2024, the opening statements began.
In the past two weeks, the prosecution and defense argued little about the basic facts. Both sides agreed that Goines lied, that people were shot, and that Tuttle and Nicholas were killed. However, the prosecutors tried to paint a picture that the couple would still be alive today, but for the fact that Goines lied to obtain the warrant, did no real investigation, and barged in the door of an otherwise innocent couple.
Defense attorneys have tried to argue that the couple did, in fact, use some drugs and sold or traded small amounts to various people. They tried to show that it was Tuttle who first fired a shot at a Houston police officer and that they would still be alive if they had complied with police orders.
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