50-year-old Dorian Thomas was found not guilty of murder in the shooting death of Emily Steinhoff James. The verdict was delivered Friday afternoon after less than an hour of jury deliberation.
Thomas faced charges stemming from a March 17, 2024, incident during a custody exchange involving his 14-month-old child and former fiancée, Hillary Lombardi. Steinhoff James, 44, who was Lombardi’s sister, accompanied her to Thomas’s Smithfield residence when the fatal shooting occurred.
During the trial, Thomas maintained that the shooting was accidental. He testified that he brought a firearm to the door because of prior threats and uncertainty about who was outside. According to Thomas, Lombardi had previously threatened him, mentioning alleged associations with the Hells Angels motorcycle group.
However, prosecutors challenged Thomas’s claims of fear. Assistant District Attorney Hannah Grace Manning pointed to Thomas’s continued close interactions with Lombardi even after the alleged threats, including staying at her apartment and sending her Valentine’s Day flowers. Manning argued that these actions undermined his defense.
Defense attorney Joe Zeszotarski focused on raising reasonable doubt, emphasizing that the shooting could have been a tragic accident. The jury was instructed to consider five potential verdicts: first-degree murder, second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter, or not guilty. In the end, jurors returned a not guilty verdict on all counts.
Speaking outside the courthouse following the verdict, Thomas expressed deep remorse:
“This was a horrible accident, and from the bottom of my heart, I never meant for it to happen,” he said. “There’s just nothing else to say other than I’m sorry that it happened, and it wasn’t ever meant to be like that.”
