Deonte Nuckols, a 46-year-old man from St. Bernard, Ohio, was tragically shot and killed on August 1, 2021, in his condo on Chalet Drive. The police were called to the scene at around 10:45 p.m. and found Nuckols dead. At the time, the authorities did not disclose any suspects or details about the circumstances surrounding his death.
The investigation into Nuckols' death led to significant developments over the following months.
In February 2023, Jamal Binford, a 33-year-old man from Dallas and Cincinnati, was arrested at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Binford, along with two other men, Antwan Coach, Jr., 22, and Markel Hardy, 23, both from Cincinnati, were indicted by a grand jury for their involvement in Nuckols' murder. The indictment revealed that Binford had conspired with Coach and Hardy to kill Nuckols in connection with a narcotics conspiracy involving 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
The case against Binford, Coach, and Hardy was unsealed in February 2023, and it was revealed that Binford had paid the other two men to carry out the murder. Nuckols had been texting Binford about a drug debt on the day of his death. The trio faced serious charges, including murder in connection with a drug trafficking conspiracy and the use of a firearm to commit murder. If convicted, each defendant faced a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 20 years and up to life in prison.
In February 2025, a jury found Binford guilty on all counts related to the murder of Deonte Nuckols and another murder that occurred in July 2021. The trial revealed that Binford had presented himself as a boxing manager but was actually directing the sale of drugs and orchestrating the murders. Binford now faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 20 years and up to life in prison for his role in the murders and the narcotics conspiracy.
The tragic death of Deonte Nuckols and the subsequent investigation and legal proceedings highlight the severe consequences of drug-related crimes and the impact they have on individuals and communities.
