COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the first time since last Wednesday, witnesses returned to the stand in the Jason Meade murder trial.
Among them, a surprise witness for the prosecution that came to light last week and put the trial on hold.
Christopher Corne works for Franklin Heating and Cooling and was working in the area where Casey Goodson Jr. was shot back in December, 2020. He told the court that he saw the pickup trucks that belonged to Meade and another officer, along with Goodson Jr.’s car just moments before the shooting. He says that Goodson Jr. was driving recklessly and dancing in his car, but he didn’t see a gun.
Corne’s testimony contradicts what Meade told the jury, that Goodson Jr. had a gun in his hand while he was in the car. While cross-examining Corne, the defense tried to show contradictions between his testimony and what he previously told prosecutors and the FBI. They also focused on the reason he deleted his Facebook account and Facebook messages between him and Goodson’s mom and the fact that he didn’t tell the FBI about it.
“You agreed that you should have told the FBI about your deletion of Facebook postings about this case, right?” asked the defense attorney. “Yes,” answered Corne.
Meanwhile, Goodson’s family attorney says the defense is reaching in its attempt to find these small contradictions.
“Jason Meade forgot that he turned on the lights in his truck afterwards. Jason Meade forgot the case. He did not come to a complete standstill at the first intersection. So if Jason Meade, who killed a man who shot a man with a rifle in his back six times, can make those two small mistakes, why can’t Christopher Corne?” said Goodson’s family attorney, Sean Walton.
The prosecution also questioned a law professor from the University of South Carolina who specializes in criminology and policing. They used him to explain to the jury how Meade could have handled the situation differently.
Closing arguments are scheduled for Wednesday.