DAYTON — A Montgomery County jury has reached a verdict in the case involving a man who is accused of shooting and killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend and a 16-year-old boy.
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The jury found Nicole “Nico” Cunigan, Jr. guilty on all 10 charges he faced, including murder and felonious assault.
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Cunigan, 33, was on trial for the murders of Precious Taste, the mother of his children, and their unborn child, as well as Deante Johnson.
The trial, which started Tuesday, had closing statements Friday morning. The jury began deliberations around 2 p.m. They returned a verdict shortly before 5 p.m.
Cunigan has 10 different charges against him. His lawyer tried to say that no one ever even proved Cunigan was the man captured on video firing a gun and jumping into a home.
As reported on News Center 7 at 5:00, prosecutors described him as a widely jealous and obsessive man who stalked his ex and the mother of his children.
“Nico Cunigan murdered three people and we presented evidence to you supporting the same,” Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Bryan Moore said.
Prosecutors began their closing arguments after a big surprise: Cunigan and his lawyer decided not to put the accused man on the witness stand.
They did not call any witnesses, prompting the judge to question Cunigan.
“Do you understand you have the right to testify?” the judge asked.
Cunigan responded by saying, “Yes.”
That left his lawyers to do all the defense in his closing arguments, looking to poke holes in the story of witnesses.
“You didn’t hear from one witness who saw that video or saw that picture of the person at the window and identified Nico Cunigan,” Lucas Wilder, Cunigan’s defense lawyer, said in court.
Wilder claimed police had tunnel vision on this, focusing only on Cunigan. He claimed Cunigan didn’t threaten Taste, who was four months pregnant.
“Nothing, nothing violent, nothing aggressive. It was apologies,” Wilder said.
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Anthony Schoen brought up a text message claiming to show Cunigan’s jealousy.
“There’s a text message, ‘I’m watching your every movement. You better not touch anyone else,’” Schoen said.
Schoen told the jury that they are the witnesses. They saw video that showed Cunigan going to the house and leaving around 6 a.m., and then returning wearing the same clothes, with the same hair, 15 minutes later, and going on a killing spree.
“Watch that video, pop, pop, pop. Jump in because I have to make sure everyone’s dead,” Schoen said.
Cunigan will be sentenced on August 29.
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