Attorneys wrap up closing arguments
Attorneys involved in Michael Reisenauer’s murder trial finished their closing arguments Tuesday evening. The jury will begin deliberation at 9 a.m. today.
- Image
Attorneys involved in Michael Reisenauer’s murder trial finished their closing arguments Tuesday evening. The jury will begin deliberation at 9 a.m. today.
Reisenauer is charged with shooting and killing Kyle Goodbird, 19, at a Dickinson residence in July.
Witnesses of the incident say Goodbird was acting aggressively and pointed Reisenauer’s gun at people at the residence and pulled the trigger, though the gun was not loaded.
Reisenauer reportedly got his gun back, but said Goodbird then barricaded him into a utility room. He allegedly told Goodbird to leave, counted down and shot Goodbird once in the chest.
Reisenauer alleges he shot Goodbird in self defense, but Stark County Assistant State’s Attorney Jim Hope said Tuesday Reisenauer had other options.
“He could have disassembled the rifle,” Hope said. “There’s no way he’d put that back together again, there’s no way.”
Daniel Ferrie, who was allegedly in the utility room at the apartment during the incident, squeezed past Goodbird just before Reisenauer shot him.
“Mr. Ferrie got out of that room, Mr. Reisenauer didn’t even bother to try,” Hope said.
Kevin McCabe, Reisenauer’s attorney, said Hope’s claim didn’t make sense because Goodbird was allegedly after Reisenauer, not Ferrie.
Reisenauer alleges Goodbird lunged at him before he was shot. However, Hope said the men were standing close together and if Goodbird wanted to do something about the gun pointed at him, he would have swatted it away.
“When you shoot an unarmed man who is standing in your doorway, blocking you from not leaving and being argumentative, just standing there, unarmed, that’s not self defense,” Hope said. “That’s an execution, that’s murder.”
McCabe asked the jury to acquit Reisenauer, saying there is not enough evidence to convict him.
“Mr. Reisenauer exercised his right to defend himself,’ McCabe said. “He exercised the right to defend others in his home. He did this by the only possible way he could at the time.”
Reisenauer alleged the gun was loaded when he got it back from Goodbird.
“When Mr. Reisenauer found out there were bullets in that gun, he’s scared — he’s scared like he’s never been scared before,” McCabe said. “Mr. Reisenauer had a reason to do what he did. That reason is he feared for his life.”
The jury is now tasked with finding Reisenauer guilty or innocent of murder.
If they find Reisenauer not guilty of murder, they must also consider whether or not he’s guilty of lesser charges — murder with provocation, manslaughter or negligent homicide.
Tags: news, local, reisenauer, murder, goodbird, trial
More from around the web
RSS Feeds