A jury in Ohio convicted a 33-year-old man of murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend and a 16-year-old boy because he was jealous that she might be seeing someone else.
Nicole “Nico” Cunigan was found guilty on ten counts of murder and felonious assault in the deaths of 32-year-old Precious Taste, their unborn child, and 16-year-old Deante Johnson.
Cunigan broke into Taste’s Dayton home at 6 a.m. on May 22, 2024, with her children inside and opened fire, killing Taste and Johnson, a family friend. According to a court report from local CBS affiliate WHIO, Cunigan shot Taste as she ran down the stairs, and Johnson was discovered dead in a bed under some covers. An adult and Taste’s twins, who were four years old at the time, were present but unharmed.
The suspect evaded capture for two months before being apprehended in Cleveland.
Taste was approximately four months pregnant, but her relationship with Cunigan had soured. Cunigan became obsessive after their breakup, prosecutors said, according to WHIO.
The now-convicted murderer sent Taste several threatening texts.
“There’s a text message saying, ‘I’m watching your every move.'” “You better not touch anyone else,” Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Anthony Schoen said during closing arguments.
Johnson’s family was devastated, especially since he had nothing to do with the conflict between Cunigan and Taste.
“Why go after a 16-year-old that you didn’t even know?” His mother, Jennifer Louis, said in an interview with WHIO about two weeks after the shooting. “… People will never be the same again; neither will we. We can try to improve it, but we’ll never be the same.”
Taste’s mother cried after hearing the verdict. She stated that while she was pleased with the justice she received, it did not bring her daughter back.
“The kids still don’t have a mother, so it’s been very rough,” she told the TV station.
Cunigan is scheduled to be sentenced on August 29.
