On the final day of testimony, jurors saw gruesome autopsy photos of Ohio State student Reagan Tokes and heard from friends of Brian Golsby who said he confessed to the kidnapping, rape and murder.
“He said he kidnapped, raped and shot her in the park,” a tearful Brittney Stepp told jurors.
Stepp was one of two friends of Golsby to testify Monday that he confessed to the crime.
The other woman, Jennifer Nickell, is the mother of Golsby’s child.
She told jurors that she visited Golsby in the Franklin County Jail repeatedly after his arrest in February of 2017.
Nickell said that Golsby initially denied responsibility but when she pressed him during jail visits in May and July of 2017 – he confessed.
“I asked him ‘Did you rape Reagan?’ And he nodded his head,” Nickell said. “I said ‘did you kill her’ he nodded his head yes… I dropped the phone and left.”
A forensic pathologist from the Franklin County Coroner’s Office later showed jurors gruesome autopsy images. He said that two bullets were recovered from Tokes’ head and that one of the gunshots wounds appeared to have been fired at close range.
“The barrel of the gun was up against the skin at the time,” he said.
That testimony was backed up by Katharine Dailey, a forensic pathologist for the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, who testified that Tokes’ DNA was found inside the barrel of the gun.
Additional testimony from other BCI forensic scientists testified that Golsby’s sperm was found in Tokes and that the DNA recovered matched that of Golsby.
The defense rested its case without calling any witnesses. Their strategy, thus far, has been to question how some of the evidence was collected and which evidence wasn’t tested.
Golsby told the judge he would not testify on his own behalf.
Closing arguments in the case are expected Tuesday morning. The jury could begin deliberating by noon Tuesday.
If convicted Golsby could face the death penalty.
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Brian Golsby Trial Updates: