Sep. 17—After two of the defendants charged in the 2019 murder of Dayton Police Detective Jorge “George” DelRio were sentenced Monday, DelRio’s family members spoke in a video provided by Dayton police.
Kathy DelRio, the detective’s wife, thanked U.S. District Judge Michael Newman and the team of federal prosecutors for their work.
“We’re glad that everything is finally said and done, and over with. It’s such a relief,” she said in a video that’s about eight minutes long.
In March, Nathan Goddard and Cahke Cortner were found guilty in federal court in the 2019 shooting of Detective DelRio.
Newman imposed concurrent life sentences against Goddard on counts related to drug offenses and the murder of DelRio, with 120 months imposed for the use of a firearm tied to a drug trafficking crime. Essentially, Goddard received a life sentence plus a decade in prison for his crimes.
Newman imposed life sentences against Cortner for counts related to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and marijuana, with a five-year sentence imposed for another count tied to the carrying of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
“It’s a lot of weight lifted off of our shoulders,” daughter Ariel Bush said in the video. “Because now it’s finally given us the opportunity to be able to grieve and move on.
“It will never be fully behind us,” she added.
Detective Thomas Oney remembered his colleague as “a very light-hearted type.”
“I had never seen him angry or anything like that,” Oney said in the video. “And he loved his family. In the times that we would get together, he would always speak highly of his wife, his four daughters, his two sons-in-law.”
He added with a smile: “He would always tell me how much happiness they brought him — and how expensive it was to raise four girls growing up.”
Since DelRio worked undercover, some uniformed personnel did not know him, said police Major Brian Johns.
“But for those who knew him, he was our world, man,” Johns said. “He was so funny. He would always cheer you up. You would come in the office and he would have something funny to say.”
Even in death, DelRio’s selflessness was evident, the major added. He was an organ donor. “That just goes to show how much he cares about other people.”
“I can say George was just one of the best undercover people that I ever interacted with within the Dayton police department, and in the narcotics world ” police Lt. Col. Eric Henderson said. “He took his job very seriously. Yet, he was the first one to laugh and joke about something and have fun.”
“He had a love of life,” Bush said.
“He would light up a room, you know?” daughter Veronica DelRio said. “He commanded a room.”
“George will never be forgotten,” Johns said.
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
