Jury Deliberates in Cleveland Trial of Man Accused of Killing Mother Holding Baby
The jury in the trial of 21-year-old Dennis Coates, accused of fatally shooting a young mother, began deliberating on Tuesday. The trial commenced on September 16, presided over by Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge Maureen Clancy.
According to Cleveland police, Coates is charged with the murder of 23-year-old Dimesha Wright, who was shot around 3:30 a.m. on December 14, 2023, near E. 185th Street and Harland Avenue.
Court records indicate that Coates fired an AR-style rifle through the front door of Wright’s home, striking her while she was holding her seven-month-old baby. Fortunately, the child was not injured in the incident.
Coates has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault, attempted aggravated murder, attempted felonious assault, attempted murder, and endangering children.
