COLUMBUS, Ohio — Closing arguments completed in the murder trial of former Franklin County deputy Jason Meade on Wednesday.
Meade is charged with two counts of murder and reckless homicide in the December 2020 killing of 23-year-old Casey Goodson Jr.
Prosecutors and the defense gave their arguments and the jury received the case just before 1:30 p.m.
Meade maintained during his testimony that he feared for his life and the lives of others after Goodson waved a gun at him as the two drove past each other. He testified that he pursued Goodson in his unmarked vehicle and that Goodson aimed a gun at him again, right before the shooting occurred.
According to his family and prosecutors, Goodson was holding a sandwich bag in one hand and his keys in the other when he was fatally shot. They do not dispute that Goodson could have been carrying a gun and say he had a license to carry a firearm.
Watch closing arguments
Christopher Corne, who works for a heating and cooling company, testified for the prosecution Tuesday that on the day of the shooting, he saw Goodson in his truck at an intersection. Corne said Goodson was “driving erratically” with at least one hand off the wheel. He said Goodson appeared to be singing or dancing to some music in the car. But, he testified, he didn't see anything in Goodson's hands.
Corne testified that he did not see the shooting but that he later saw flashing lights and a large police presence. He said he did not stay in the area or reach out to authorities in the days following the shooting.
During cross-examination, Corne admitted he had changed some details of his story. He initially told prosecutors that Goodson had one hand on the wheel but he testified in court that Goodson had both hands off it.
When asked if he had an agenda and why he came forward, Corne said it was a last-minute decision and that he had some concerns about participating in such a high-profile case.
You can view the entire Jason Meade murder trial on 10TV+ , on 10TV's YouTube channel and in this story. The 10TV+ app is free to download on Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV.
LATEST UPDATES FROM COURT:
Feb. 14 — Closing arguments are set to begin at 8:45 a.m.
Who was Casey Goodson Jr.?
Goodson’s mother Tamala Payne said he was the best older brother to his nine brothers and sisters and his joy was infectious and filled the room.
“The kid had a whole life ahead of him, he had plans, he had dreams, he wanted to be a CCW instructor, he had his CDL license, he was working and saving, trying to save enough money to purchase his own truck,” Payne said.
In an interview back in December 2022, Bredlin Harper who is Goodson's brother, said he sacrificed everything for him.
“He wasn't just our brother, he wanted to be our dad! He fought for us when he was here, and now we have to fight for him."
In 2020, 10TV spoke with Malissa Thomas-St. Clair, who is the founder of Mothers of Murdered Columbus Children and was also Goodson's former sixth-grade math teacher.
“Casey as a sixth-grader was the most compassionate, loving, selfless student. He was helpful, he always wanted to do, he loved to be able to just put a smile on your face. He was light-hearted and funny,” St. Clair said.
Who is Jason Meade?
Meade, who has been out on bond, was a deputy with the sheriff's office for 17 years. He was placed on administrative leave after the shooting, and took disability retirement in July 2021, months before he was indicted.
Meade was also a deputized member of the US Marshals office, but a judge ruled he was not acting as a federal agent at the time of the shooting.
According to Meade's personnel file from the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, he was one of seven deputies involved in a deadly shooting in Pike County in 2018. All deputies were cleared in that shooting.
In March 2019, he was given an oral reprimand for using his taser and not telling his supervisor.
He was also one of the deputies who climbed on the rooftop to arrest Monica Justice in July 2020. She was sentenced to 40-to-45 years in prison for a shooting that injured two Franklin County Sheriff’s deputies.
