A jury in Lucas County Common Pleas Court today found Houston Hart guilty of one count of murder in the 2013 death of a fellow resident of the Toledo Gospel Rescue Mission.
Hart, 50, who lists his address as the mission, 1917 Jefferson Ave., was acquitted of a second, alternate count of murder that alleged he “purposely” caused the death of Joseph Meyers.
The charges carry the same penalty — life in prison with eligibility for parole after 15 years — and a defendant may only serve a sentence on one of the charges even if he is convicted on both.
Hart took the witness stand during his three-day trial, admitting that he assaulted Mr. Meyers, 53, on Aug. 3, 2013, but saying he did not intend to kill him.
Hart told the jury Mr. Meyers had been pestering him relentlessly about breaking a rule at the mission and said repeatedly that he was “not in the right state of mind” when he struck and kicked Mr. Meyers. The victim died four days later at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center.
Several residents of the mission testified Monday and Tuesday that they witnessed the attack, and police said Hart himself stood up and told them he did it when they arrived at the scene.
Despite what prosecutors deemed “abundantly clear” evidence in the case, the jury deliberated for nearly five hours before returning the guilty verdict.
Judge Gary Cook scheduled sentencing for Feb. 9 for Hart, who is being held in the Lucas County jail without bond.
First Published January 28, 2015, 8:01 p.m.
