That’s when Geldrich and his friend, Adam Patrick, hatched a plan to rob their drug dealer — 16-year-old Dione Payne, of Dayton — who had been helping them and a few others get high all day long.
Geldrich, who is facing 22 years to life in prison after pleading guilty to murdering Payne, testified about the plot during the third day of the trial of Michael Watson, a 40-year-old Franklin man charged with aggravated murder for his alleged role in the crime. Geldrich, 36, wearing an orange jumpsuit and shackled at his legs and hands, was questioned by prosecutors for more than three hours, and will be cross-examined by Watson’s defense attorney starting at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.
Geldrich detailed how he and Adam Patrick went to Dayton on Nov. 30 to pick up Payne — or “Spanky” as they knew him — and bring him back to Geldrich’s home at 11 Vernon Street in Franklin, where Payne would then sell cocaine and heroin to the friends that the two men would invite over. For hosting this drug party of sorts, Geldrich would receive a cut of the money Payne made from the deal.
“It was some the best (heroin) that had been around,” Geldrich said of Payne’s stash.
But Geldrich said Payne’s price tag of $10 per cap of heroin was high and that “he wasn’t cutting no deals.”
Payne was making money, Geldrich said, and everyone at his house, including Patrick’s girlfriend, were getting high into the early morning hours of Dec. 1. But the scene changed, violently, when he and Patrick began to worry about how they were going to feed their habit on Sunday, Geldrich said.
So they devised a plan to rob Payne of his money and drugs. The plan was to put a pillowcase over Payne’s head as he slept on the couch, duct tape his hands, then load him into Patrick’s truck and leave him at Crane’s Run Park.
Patrick “did not want to be recognized because (Payne) was his drug dealer’s dope boy,” Geldrich said on the stand. “Adam was not wanting to participate.”
Patrick, 30, of Franklin, was sentenced to 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated robbery for his part in Payne’s death.
Knowing he could not rob Payne by himself, Geldrich said he sent out text messages to fellow addicts who might help. Watson, who was homeless and sleeping in a shed, responded to the solicitation, and the two men exchanged several text messages before Geldrich finally left to pick Watson up, according to Geldrich’s testimony.
While outside the Vernon Street home, Watson proposed knocking Payne out so there would be no struggle, Geldrich said.
Eventually, Geldrich said he picked up a table leg and agreed to knock out Payne.
“I picked up the table leg and said, ‘I’ll knock him out; let’s go do this,” Geldrich said.
For about an hour, Geldrich said both he and Watson kicked and hit Payne while demanding the boy tell them the location of his stash of drugs and money.
“I hit him on his button … chin area,” Geldrich said. “He come to, leaned forward like he was going to sit up; I thought what the hell, I hit him again.”
Watson was able to get the pillow case over his head and tried to duct tape Payne’s arms to his body, but the teen broke free. Geldrich said he then swept Payne’s legs out from under him and put him in a headlock. That is when they began to search him for drugs but found nothing, Geldrich said.
Watson straddled Payne and demanded more that 10 times that he tell them where the drugs and money were, according to Geldrich. Each time Watson slammed Payne’s head into the ground, he testified.
Becoming frustrated, Geldrich said he used a wooden rod to probe Payne’s anal cavity for drugs while Watson sat on top of the boy. But again they found no money or drugs. Geldrich said they both hit and kicked Payne in the head and body multiple times before eventually finding something.
“We got $260 and nine caps for boy (street slang for heroin) and girl (cocaine), and got high,” Geldrich told prosecutors.
But Geldrich said they still believed Payne had more and began discussing what to do next. That’s when Payne “mumbled don’t Johnnie,” Geldrich said. The men began assaulting Payne again until Watson passed out while straddling the boy.
After waking Watson and placing a call to Patrick, Geldrich said he and Watson began discussing what to do with Payne. When they realized Payne was not breathing, they performed CPR.
“He started breathing,” Geldrich said. “I told Jay (Watson) he need some treatment. I said something ain’t right. Jay wanted to stick to the plan and drop him off at the park.”
Minutes later, the men loaded up the unresponsive teen in a truck and drove him to Atrium Medical Center in Middletown, where Watson wheeled him into the emergency department and left. Payne died later of his injuries after being transported to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton.
Geldrich said he and Watson returned to the house, cleaned up, then drove to Dayton where they bought more heroin, shot up at a gas station near the Dayton Mall and ditched their bloody clothes.
Watson’s attorney John Kaspar maintains there was no intent to kill Payne and his client is being overcharged for the crime of aggravated murder. Kaspar said Watson hasn’t decided whether he wants to take the stand.
The trial continues Thursday with more testimony from Geldrich and a representative from the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office, which could be followed by closing arguments.
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