Ex-Houston Officer Gets 60 Years for Murder

Former Houston police officer Gerald Goines has received a 60-year prison sentence for the murder of Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas during a January 2019 drug raid that ended up unmasking corruption within the department's narcotics unit. The jury spent 10 hours over two days weighing Goines' sentence. Prosecutors had alleged Goines falsely framed the couple as dangerous drug dealers in order to get a search warrant (he said an informant bought heroin from an armed man at their home); they sought a life sentence.

Goines was one of a dozen officers linked to the narcotics unit that were indicted on various charges, and a probe into cases the unit handle has led to the overturning of at least 22 convictions. Goines' attorneys attempted to mitigate his actions, claiming the couple fired first; however, investigations confirmed officers initiated gunfire. Only small amounts of marijuana and cocaine were recovered at the house.

The fallout extends beyond Goines' conviction; federal charges and civil rights lawsuits against him and the city of Houston loom on the horizon. Rhogena Nicholas' family expressed relief, saying, "the jury saw this case for what it was: Vicious murders by corrupt police, an epic cover-up attempt and a measure of justice, at least with Goines." (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)