Verdict announced in trial of DMAX employee accused of shooting, killing coworker

DAYTON — UPDATE @ 1:29 p.m.:

The man accused of killing his coworker at the DMAX facility in Moraine has been found guilty on all counts.

News Center 7′s Mike Campbell was in court as the verdict was read. He’ll have a full breakdown of what happened and what comes next tonight on News Center 7 at 5:00.

A jury found Frederick Cox guilty of three counts of murder and four counts of felonious assault on Friday.

INITIAL REPORT:

A jury has reached a verdict in the trial of a man accused of killing his coworker at the DMAX facility in Moraine.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

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

The jury began deliberating at 8:30 a.m. on Friday and reached a verdict around 12:30 p.m. in the case involving Frederick Cox. It’s expected to be announced at 1:15 p.m.

Cox is accused of opening fire at the DMAX plant in Moraine last May.

Thursday, he took to the witness stand and gave an emotional testimony.

Cox told the jury he made a threatening gesture towards the man he’s accused of killing, moments before the gunfire.

Prosecutors said this all centers around a love triangle between Cox, a woman, and the victim, 28-year-old Jeffrey James Allen III.

Cox said he tried to speak to the woman, who was his ex-girlfriend. He said her current boyfriend, Allen, came up to him in a threatening way.

“I reached into my bookbag bag and grabbed my pistol and I shot him. Why did you shoot him? I was scared, I was terrified,” Cox said in court Thursday.

Police and prosecutors said Cox fired 12 shots at Allen, continuing to fire even after Allen fell to the floor.

Prosecutors played a taped interview with Cox from the hospital, 10 days after the shooting. He wrote that he shot Allen only twice and shot himself once.

[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]