DAYTON — The man accused of killing his coworker at the DMAX facility in Moraine has been found guilty on all counts.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
A jury found Frederick Cox guilty of three counts of murder and four counts of felonious assault on Friday afternoon after deliberating for roughly four hours.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Fire engulfs truck at Kroger gas station
- Arrest warrant for man accused of kidnapping stepdaughter deemed invalid, judge orders his release
- 5 arrested after officers find enough fentanyl to kill 18,000 people, several other drugs
As shown on News Center 7 at 5:00, Cox showed no reaction and sat in silence as Judge Gerald Parker read the jury’s verdict on the seven charges out loud.
Cox had been on trial all week in connection to the deadly shooting at the DMAX facility in Moraine in May 2023. He was convicted of shooting and killing Jeffrey James Allen III, the man his ex-girlfriend was dating.
Police said he fired a dozen shots that hit Allen. Others his a coworker trying to escape the gunfire.
Cox’s lawyer had tried to convince the jury that he acted in self-defense. In his testimony, Cox said he was afraid Allen was going to hurt him.
Prosecutors showed the jury angry and threatening text messages Cox sent to his ex before the shooting. One said she would “find out” and another read, “I’m saying my final goodbyes.”
“We felt he was at fault because of his behavior bringing the gun and also in the number of times he shot the victim, and the placement of those wounds,” Erin Claypoole, assistant prosecuting attorney, said. “It was definitely unreasonable.”
Claypoole said the jury’s verdict was a welcomed relief and a step toward justice for the family of the victim and for DMAX workers who endured the nightmare of the deadly gunfire in the workplace.
“That’s the best part of this job, DMAX employees went through so much,” Claypoole said. “Some of the employees couldn’t even return to work.”
Cox is now being held in the Montgomery County Jail without bail. He’ll head to an Ohio state prison after his sentencing next month.
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
