Johnston County man's murder trial set for closing arguments

Dorian Thomas took the stand in his own defense on Wednesday. Thomas is accused of shooting his child's aunt, Emily Steinhoff, in March 2024. Closing arguments are set for Friday morning.
Posted 4/24/2025, 2:09:00 PM Updated 4/25/2025, 1:21:59 PM

GUN VIOLENCE ANY TIME BY GOING

TO WRAL DOT COM

>> IN ONE HOUR, A JURY IN

JOHNSON COUNTY WILL HEAR

CLOSING ARGUMENTS IN THE MURDER

TRIAL OF DORIAN THOMAS. HE'S

ACCUSED OF SHOOTING HIS CHILD'S

AUNT DURING A CUSTODY EXCHANGE,

WRS CHELSEA DONOVAN HAS BEEN

FOLLOWING THIS TRIAL. SHE JOINS

US LIVE FROM OUTSIDE THE

COURTHOUSE. CHELSEA.

YES, ARE IN A AFTER 5 DAYS OF

TESTIMONY, THE JURY IS LIKELY

GOING TO GET THIS CASE JUST

ABOUT AN HOUR AFTER THOSE

CLOSING ARGUMENTS AND THEY'LL

HAVE TO DECIDE IF 50 YEAR-OLD

DORIAN THOMAS INTENDED TO PULL

THE TRIGGER.

>> SHOOTING EMILY STEINHOFF

HIS CHILD'S AND NOW THE DEFENSE

PUT 50 YEAR-OLD THOMAS ON THE

STAND YESTERDAY WHERE HE SPENT

CLOSE TO 7 HOURS TESTIFYING IN

HIS OWN DEFENSE THOMAS CONTENDS

THAT HE TOOK HIS GUN OUT WHEN

HIS EX HILLARY LOMBARDI AND

EMILY STEINHOFF CAME BANGING ON

THE DOOR TO PICK UP THE CHILD

THAT THE COUPLE SHARED THOMAS

STATES. THE SHOOTING WAS AN

ACCIDENT AFTER HE AND HILLARY

LOMBARDI GOT INTO A SCUFFLE

AND SHE GOT A HOLD OF HIS GUN

AND IT WENT OFF. THEN STEINHOFF

SUFFERED A FATAL GUNSHOT WOUND

RIGHT THERE ON THOMAS'S PORCH.

NOW THE STATE BELIEVES IT

WASN'T AN ACCIDENT AND NOT IN

SELF-DEFENSE. AND THAT THOMAS

INTENDED TO KILL THE SHOOTING

HAPPENED ONE DAY BEFORE THOMAS

AND LOMBARDI. WE'RE SET TO HAVE

A CUSTODY HEARING FOR THEIR

DAUGHTER IN WHICH THOMAS WAS

LOOKING TO GAIN FULL CUSTODY

OF NOW THE JURY. AGAIN WILL

HEAR THOSE CLOSING ARGUMENTS

BEGINNING AT 01:00PM. SO JUST

LESS THAN AN HOUR NOW WILL, OF

COURSE, STREAM THAT ON WRAL COM

AND THEN AFTERWARD WILL LIKELY

BE IN VERDICT. WATCH LIVE IN