Jury reaches verdict in trial of man accused of attempted kidnapping at Xenia school

XENIA — A jury has decided the fate of a man accused of impersonating a kindergartner’s dad to try and kidnap her from a Xenia school and later attacking a police officer.

The jury found Reid Duran not guilty of attempted kidnapping by reason of insanity and guilty of felonious assault on a police officer and escape.

The jury began deliberations in the case against Duran Friday after the prosecution and defense provided closing statements.

Deliberations continued on Monday, meaning jurors deliberated for just shy of 10 hours.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Trial begins for man accused of attempted kidnapping at Xenia school

“We’re here because the defendant, (Duran), committed crimes,” Michele Henne, Greene County Assistant Prosecutor, told the jurors Friday.

During the trial, a video of Duran showing up at St. Brigid Catholic School in August 2022 for an open house, but he didn’t know anyone there. Prosecutors said he planned to kidnap a girl in kindergarten so he could sexually abuse her.

As News Center 7 previously reported, the school’s principal who called 911 testified that Duran claimed he was the child’s father.

Prosecutors played police body camera videos where Duran said he was “up to no good” at the school and wanted to touch the girl “inappropriately.”

“He knew what he did was wrong,” Henne said.

Duran’s defense attorney Anthony VanNoy claimed he didn’t understand what was happening. He claimed Duran suffered from severe mental illness and was not taking his medication.

“Reid having some plan to come to St. Brigid to kidnap a child – it just never happened,” he told the court.

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VanNoy also argued that Duran was paranoid and delusional at the school and when he voluntarily came in for questioning before his arrest.

Video was also shown in court of Duran first trying to stab a Xenia officer with a pen, as well as when he tried to escape police custody.

Duran’s lawyer asked the jury to find him not guilty by reason of insanity.

“We are asking you to return verdicts in Mr. Duran’s favor,” VanNoy said.

Prosecutors asked the jury for guilty verdicts.

“What this case is not is an indictment or condemnation of those that struggle with mental illness. That is not what this case is about,” Christian Cavalier, Greene County Assistant Prosecutor said. “We are here because of the defendant’s conduct.”

We will continue to follow this story.

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