HOUSTON — Jurors in the murder trial of former Houston police officer Gerald Goines sentenced him to 60 years in prison after convicting him of two counts of murder in the 2019 deaths of Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas. They also fined him $20,000.
Goines, 61, showed no reaction when the verdict was read.
The jury deliberated for about 10 hours in the sentencing phase as they determined Goines' punishment, which could have been anywhere from 5 years to life.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg called it "the most important verdict in Harris County history." She said no other Houston police officer has ever been convicted of murder.
“The people of this county have sent a strong message that police corruption will not be tolerated and that no one is above the law,” Ogg said.
The veteran narcotics cop led the botched no-knock drug raid that led to the shooting deaths of the victims and their dog in their modest Harding Street home. Four officers, including Goines, were shot and wounded.
While Goines didn't fire the shots that killed Tuttle and Nicholas, he lied to get the warrant that falsely portrayed the couple as dangerous drug dealers. Only a small amount of cocaine and weed were found in their home.
“Goines preyed on predominately poor communities who may or may not have the resources to fight back,” prosecutor Tanisha Manning said. “… And the people who are in those neighborhoods deserve the same protection that everyone else deserves.”
The case uncovered years of corruption in HPD that included lying to get more drug warrants for overtime pay. The DA's Office had to revisit thousands of drug cases and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned at least 22 convictions linked to Goines.
“Gerald Goines has been a stain on the reputation of every honest cop in our community, a community that he terrorized through corruption worthy of the movie ‘Training Days,” Ogg said. “He had throwdown weapons, he had throwdown drugs, he killed and was responsible for the deaths of these two people and the ruination of many more.”
Members of the victims' families were in the courtroom when the verdict was read. Tuttle's son said the long wait for justice has been difficult.
“A heavy burden of my father’s and my stepmother’s names being tarnished as drug dealers, which they absolutely were not and never were,” Ryan Tuttle said. “So, I think there’s vindication, of course, to get that dark cloud lifted off our family name.”
He said his father was "pro-police" and would still believe that most cops are good if he were still alive.
The sentencing phase was interrupted on Thursday, Oct. 4, when Goines had a medical emergency in the middle of the prosecutor's closing arguments and had to be removed from the courtroom.
Before they began deliberations, prosecutors urged the jury not to be manipulated by what happened.
Defense attorney Nicole DeBorde said they still don't believe Goines is guilty and have already filed an appeal.