Dupuis found guilty in dragging death

Geoffrey Dupuis stands after the reading of his verdict in Lucas County Common Pleas Court.

A Toledo man was found guilty of murder in Lucas County Common Pleas Court Thursday for the June 11 dragging death of a man in the parking lot of a Speedway gas station.

Geoffrey Dupuis, 47, was convicted by a jury of seven women and five men, who deliberated for about 3 1/2 hours. He will be sentenced to life in prison with parole eligibility after 15 years when sentenced Dec. 15 by Judge Gary Cook.

A total of 12 witnesses testified throughout the trial, including Dupuis himself, about the incident that resulted in the death of Randall York, 55. Mr. York was killed by blunt force trauma to the head and torso after he was hit and dragged more than 63 feet by Dupuis' minivan.

During closing arguments Thursday, Dupuis' attorney called the incident an accident. Attorney Phillip Carlisle told jurors that a recording of a surveillance video in the gas station parking lot showed that Mr. York was to the side of Dupuis' van and not in front of it.

Witnesses testified otherwise, Assistant County Prosecutor Michael Loisel said.

Mr. Loisel pointed to the testimony of five witnesses who were at the gas station at Secor and Laskey roads that night – four customers and the clerk. Each of them testified that Mr. York was in Dupuis' line of sight and that he was run over when Dupuis "floored" the gas and took off.

Jurors found Dupuis guilty of murder, or knowingly causing someone's death as a result of a felonious assault. The jury was also able to consider reckless homicide, a third-degree felony involving "recklessly the death of another."