Man found guilty in August shooting

By Joe Gorman

jgorman@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

A Mahoning County Common Pleas Court jury Thursday found a Reynoldsburg man not guilty of attempted murder in an August shooting on the South Side, but guilty of other charges.

Jurors found Keith Black, 27, guilty of two counts of felonious assault and being a felon in possession of a firearm, along with firearm specifications.

Sentencing will be at a later date.

The verdict came about 3:30 p.m. Jurors received the case to deliberate about 11:30 a.m.

Black is accused of shooting Nicholas Duecaster, 20, on Ravenwood Avenue early Aug. 14, 2015.

The jury was seated Monday and began hearing testimony Tuesday.

Frank Cassese, one of two lawyers representing Black, told jurors in his closing arguments that Duecaster’s testimony about how he was shot was self-serving and riddled with inaccuracies.

“The only consistency in Nicholas Duecaster’s statement is that it is inconsistent,” Cassese said.

Cassese, echoing the theme of co-counsel David Betras during opening statements, said Black shot Duecaster in self defense because Duecaster was planning to rob Black.

Assistant Prosecutor Rob Andrews told jurors the shooting was not self defense. Andrews said Black’s DNA was found on a clip of ammunition that police believed was used to shoot Duecaster, and Duecaster’s DNA was not on the clip at all.

Duecaster spent more than a month in the hospital recovering from injuries he suffered from the bullet that struck his lungs, liver and kidneys, Andrews said.

Andrews also told jurors that Duecaster was not shot until Black had spent several minutes inside a home on Lucius Avenue where Duecaster had dropped him off. Andrews said Black did not have a gun until he came out of the home.

Duecaster was afraid he may be harmed because there had been talk on the street that he was an informer, Andrews said.