Trial for men charge in killing of Det. Jorge Del Rio reaches closing arguments

DAYTON — Jurors will soon get the case of two men accused of killing Dayton Police Detective Jorge Del Rio.

News Center 7 was in federal court on Tuesday as closing arguments began in the trial of Nathan Goddard and Cahke Counter.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Trial for 2 charged in killing of Det. Jorge Del Rio begins

Del Rio was shot while serving a search warrant as part of a Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force at a home on Ruskin Drive in 2019.

Goddard is accused of firing the shots that hit Del Rio, but Counter is also facing murder charges as being part of the drug conspiracy.

Cameras are not allowed inside the federal courtroom where testimony in the case happened for about two weeks.

As we reported on News Center 7 at 5:00, prosecutor Amy Smith reminded jurors of the crucial facts about Del Rio’s death and Goddard during closing arguments.

“Nathan Goddard admits to intentionally firing his gun at whoever was coming down the stairs and that he meant to shoot,” Smith said.

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She also said there was a “slug removed from Jorge Del Rio’s body at his autopsy that matched Nate Goddard’s gun.”

Defense lawyers are still waiting for their chance to make their closing arguments.

On Tuesday, federal judge Michael Newman told jurors that once closing arguments are complete, “they have two duties.” The first is to decide what the facts are and the second is to take the law given to them and apply it to the facts to see “if the government has proved the defendants guilty.”

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