Trial begins for Boone in shooting death, robbery of S. Toledo gym owner

6/10/2014

A Toledo man who was sought for nearly a year for the shooting death and robbery of a South Toledo gym owner went on trial today before Lucas County Common Pleas Judge James Bates.

Deitrekk Boone, 21, of 1416 Beecham St., waived his right to have a jury decide his guilt or innocence on charges of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, and two firearms specifications for the Nov. 19, 2012, death of Joseph Lengel, 57, owner of CrossFit Intensity Gym.

Among the first witnesses to take the stand was Matthew Managhan, 36, one of four co-defendants who last year pleaded guilty to their roles in the crime. He testified that he and his longtime friend, Chad Brown, learned of a man who carried a large amount of marijuana and cash with him in a bag to a mechanic’s shop on Warehouse Road.

Managhan said they wanted to rob him but didn’t want to carry out the robbery themselves so they enlisted Jason Kuhns, a man Managhan said he sold heroin to. Asked how he knew Deitrekk Boone, Managhan replied that he didn’t.

Charles McDonald, an assistant Lucas County prosecutor, told the court in his opening statement that Kuhns enlisted Boone and Devonte Harris to carry out the robbery with him. The trio went to the Warehouse Road business park early on Nov. 19, hid behind a dumpster, and confronted Mr. Lengel when he arrived to open up the gym about 5:45 a.m.

“They attacked the wrong man and they killed him,” Mr. McDonald said. “The intended target owned the shop next door to Joe Lengel’s gym – right next door. Joe Lengel died because Deitrekk Boone attacked the wrong man.”

Defense attorney Drew Griffith said the state’s case rests squarely on the testimony of four convicted felons who have lied and changed their stories several times.

Managhan and Brown both pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and aggravated robbery, while Kuhns pleaded guilty to murder and Harris pleaded guilty to aggravated murder. All four are in prison.