COLUMBUS, Ohio – 2024 looks to be a year filled with high-profile trials at Franklin County Common Pleas Court. Among the most anticipated are cases involving former law enforcement officers charged with murder, an accused serial drug overdose killer, and other controversial cases.
Former Franklin County SWAT deputy Michael Jason Meade, 44, is scheduled to go to trial on January 29 for charges of murder and reckless homicide in connection with the shooting death of 23-year-old Casey Goodson Jr. on December 4, 2020. Meade shot Goodson six times, five in the back, outside his grandmother’s Northland home.
Similarly, former Columbus Division of Police officer Adam Coy, 47, is charged with murder, reckless homicide, felonious assault, and dereliction of duty for the December 22, 2020, shooting death of 47-year-old Andre Hill. Coy’s trial was postponed indefinitely due to his cancer treatment, and a hearing is expected in January to discuss his status.
Another former officer, Columbus K-9 officer Ricky Anderson, was indicted in August 2023 on murder and reckless homicide charges for the fatal shooting of Donovan Lewis on August 22, 2022. Anderson pleaded not guilty and is out on a $500,000 bond while awaiting trial.
Other cases on the docket for 2024 include Krieg Butler, who is charged with the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Sinzae Reed, and Timothy Kendrick, accused of torturing and killing 30-year-old Drew Mendelbaum. Additionally, Rebecca Auborn faces charges related to the deaths of four men from drug overdoses.
The upcoming trials in 2024 have attracted national attention and come amidst ongoing conversations about police brutality and justice in America. Each case rests on the quest for truth and justice, and the legal system will play a crucial role in determining the outcomes.