DAYTON — A federal appeals court today affirmed the convictions and life prison sentences for two Dayton men involved in the 2019 deadly shooting of Dayton Police Detective and DEA Task Force Officer Jorge DelRio.
The decision by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upholds the federal convictions against Nathan Goddard and Cahke Cortner.
Goddard shot Det. DelRio in November 2019 while attempting to prevent federal agents from seizing approximately $500,000 in fentanyl and other illegal drugs.
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Goddard, 46, was convicted of murder following a jury trial in March 2024. Both Goddard and Cortner, 46, were also convicted of multiple narcotics and firearms offenses, including intentional killing while engaging in a drug offense.
In September 2024, a district judge sentenced Goddard to life plus 10 years in prison. Cortner was sentenced during the same month to life plus five years in prison.
In their appeal, Goddard and Cortner challenged the sufficiency of the evidence supporting their convictions. They argued that the district court committed errors in its evidentiary rulings and in instructing the jury, while Cortner further contended that his sentence was procedurally and substantively unreasonable.
The appellate court rejected all defense arguments, ruling that sufficient evidence supported the jury’s conclusions that Goddard acted with premeditation in shooting Det. DelRio. The court also held that Goddard’s intentional killing of the officer was foreseeable to Cortner as a co-conspirator.
U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II praised the appellate ruling and commended the prosecutors involved in the case. “The Court of Appeals’ decision demonstrates there was more than enough evidence and a clear legal basis to hold Goddard and Cortner accountable for the premeditated murder of DEA Task Force Officer DelRio,” Gerace said.
“These defendants were justly convicted and deserve the life sentences handed down by the district judge. As we approach the seventh anniversary of this tragedy, I want to thank the outstanding AUSAs who tried this case and defended it on appeal for honoring Jorge’s sacrifice through their steadfast work and dogged determination. This Office will never stop pursuing justice for Jorge and his family.”
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