Columbus, Ohio – Some of the most highly anticipated trials set to take place in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court in 2024 involve three former law enforcement officers charged with murder, as well as an accused serial drug overdose killer.
The scheduled trials mirror those of 2023, with the trials of two former officers repeatedly postponed or rescheduled for more than three years since separate shootings in December 2020.
Former Franklin County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Jason Meade, a former SWAT deputy, is scheduled to go on trial on Jan. 29 for charges of murder and reckless homicide in connection with the Dec. 4, 2020 shooting death of 23-year-old Casey Goodson Jr. Meade, who is out on a bond of $250,000, shot Goodson six times, five in the back, while he was outside his grandmother’s Northland home.
Former Columbus Division of Police officer Adam Coy, who is out on a $1 million bond, was scheduled to go on trial for the Dec. 22, 2020, shooting death of 47-year-old Andre Hill. Coy’s trial was postponed indefinitely while he underwent treatment for cancer and is yet to be rescheduled.
In addition, former Columbus K-9 officer Ricky Anderson faces murder and reckless homicide charges in connection with the fatal shooting of Donovan Lewis on Aug. 22, 2022. Anderson, who is out on a $500,000 bond, awaits his upcoming trial.
Other cases scheduled for trial in 2024 include that of Krieg Butler, accused of fatally shooting 13-year-old Sinzae Reed in self-defense, Timothy Kendrick, alleged to have tortured and killed 30-year-old Drew Mendelbaum, and Rebecca Auborn, charged as a serial killer for causing four men to die from overdoses.
These trials highlight the continued scrutiny and debate surrounding police use of force and violent crimes in Ohio, as the justice system prepares to address these high-profile cases in the coming year.