After six days of testimony, the judge overseeing the trial of Rodney Hinton Jr. has asked both sides to be prepared for closing arguments on Oct. 16.
The trial's final witness, one of two rebuttal witnesses called by prosecutors, is expected to complete her testimony Oct. 16.
The focus of the trial in its final days has been whether Hinton, who is mentally ill, knew right from wrong when he drove into a Hamilton County sheriff's deputy last year, killing him. He has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
Prosecutors say it was an intentional act and are asking the jury to find him guilty of aggravated murder. Hours before the crash, Cincinnati police showed Hinton body camera video of his 18-year-old son, Ryan, being fatally shot by an officer.
Two psychologists, one hired by Hinton's attorneys and one by prosecutors, have now testified. A third psychologist, appointed by the judge overseeing the case and who was called by prosecutors as a second rebuttal witness, testified briefly on Oct. 15, mostly about her qualifications.
The psychologist hired on behalf of Hinton, Maria Espinola, testified on Oct. 14 , saying he was so emotionally overwhelmed by seeing the video of his son's death that he disconnected from reality before driving into Deputy Larry Henderson on May 2, 2025.
Espinola said Hinton did not know the wrongfulness of his actions at the time − a necessary finding for a not guilty by reason of insanity verdict. She said Hinton was experiencing both dissociation and psychosis.
"The amount of emotion he felt about Ryan overwhelmed him, to the point where he lost himself," she testified.
The prosecution's first rebuttal witness, psychologist Jaime Adkins, said that while Hinton experienced "acute bereavement" regarding his son's death and described himself as being in an "emotional daze," it was a logical reaction to a real event.
It was not a response to a hallucination or delusion.
"There is a reality-based explanation for his behavior," she said.
Heightened emotional state
Adkins also pointed out that Hinton told her that he "sorta, kinda" wanted to drive into the deputy and that he steered "a little bit" toward him.
Hinton's attorney, Clyde Bennett II, said during cross-examination there was more to Hinton's statement. When Adkins asked Hinton if he intended to hit the deputy, he responded: "Sorta, kinda. Not really."
Bennett said Hinton's statement should be taken as a negative response. Hinton, in fact, followed that up with: "Like I said, I wasn't really thinking."
Hinton was in a heightened emotional state and was not focused on whether his actions were right or wrong. But he still knew it was wrong, Adkins said.
When Hinton woke up after being unconscious, Adkins said he was aware of what he had done and was not surprised he had been arrested.
There was enough evidence that he knew the wrongfulness of his actions, she said, and thus did not meet the criteria for a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.
Jury to consider lesser charge
The third psychologist, Jennifer O'Donnell, also found that Hinton did not meet the criteria for an insanity plea. She is expected to describe her findings in detail on Oct. 16.
The trial, before Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Jody Luebbers, began Oct. 5 with jury selection, which took two and a half days.
Hinton was indicted on charges including aggravated murder. Luebbers granted a request by his attorneys to allow the jury to consider a verdict of reckless homicide, a lesser felony charge punishable by up to three years in prison.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Closing arguments expected in trial of man accused of killing deputy
