Day 1 of deliberations end with no verdict in former HPD officer Gerald Goines' murder trial

Miya Shay Image
Wednesday, September 25, 2024
Deliberations continue Tuesday in former HPD officer Goines' trial
Deliberations continue Tuesday in former HPD officer Goines' trialJurors are set to enter a second day of deliberations after daylong closing arguments in the murder trial of former HPD officer Gerald Goines.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Jurors will enter a second day of deliberating the fate of former Houston police narcotics officer Gerald Goines at his felony murder trial.

On Tuesday, the jury only had two hours to begin their deliberations after lengthy closing arguments took up most of the day.

Goines showed no emotion as his freedom hung in the balance. His defense attorney, Mac Secrest, said during closing arguments that public pressure forced the Harris County District Attorney's Office to charge the former officer with felony murder in the first place.

"This case is overcharged. It should never have been charged with felony murder," Secrest said while his fingers pointed at prosecutors. "It got amped up to it because of the politics in their office, because of the media outcry, the pressure."

Prosecutors put the focus back on the victims, Rhogena Nicholas and Dennis Tuttle, showing the couple's photos and crime scene images to the jury to remind them that had Goines not lied to obtain a no-knock warrant, the couple would very much still be alive.

"Everything that happened in that house, everything, flowed directly from that warrant - is a direct consequence," Keaton Forcht, one of the prosecutors, said. "But for Gerald Goines, those two individuals are now dead."

Defense attorneys always admitted that Goines lied to get the search warrant, though once again, in closing arguments, focused on what happened after police went inside the Harding Street home, saying it was Tuttle who fired the first shot at an officer.

"You have the option to end this madness today," defense attorney Nicole DeBorde said. "That option is when you go back to that jury room to find Gerald Goines not guilty of murder because he's not the cause."

Prosecutors, though, had the final word in the closing arguments, saying they believe they have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the only person responsible for the death of Nicholas and Tuttle is Goines.

"I will say his name (Goines) repeatedly because he is responsible for every single volley (of bullets) that riddled that house and riddled those two individuals. I will say his name," prosecutor Tanisha Manning said, pointing to Goines sitting at the defense table.

Earlier in the day, people lined up early to enter the courtroom and watch the coda to this two-week trial, almost six years in the making. It was a standing-room-only courtroom, with a few people sitting on the floor. In the audience were family members of Nicholas and Tuttle, the two victims. Police officers who testified, as well as the head of the police union, were also present. In addition, Elyse Lanier, Houston's former first lady and a supporter of defendant Goines, was present, as she has been through most of the trial.

SEE ALSO: Lawyers hash out jury instructions ahead of Gerald Goines trial's closing arguments

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.

SEE ALSO: Day 6 of Gerald Goines trial yields surprising testimony from HPD homicide detective

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 several 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 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.

The prosecution and defense argued little about the basic facts in the past two weeks. 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 if it weren't 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 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.

Jurors got the case after 2:30 p.m. but were sent home after 5:30 p.m. to continue deliberating Wednesday at 10 a.m.

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