Dayton police mark 5-year anniversary of detective Jorge DelRio’s death

Thousands of members of the law enforcement community, local and state leaders and area residents honored DelRio at his funeral at the University of Dayton Arena.

DelRio is remembered as a peerless undercover agent and investigator, a wise mentor to younger officers, a fearless warrior against drug traffickers and a warm, giving husband, father and friend.

DelRio was born in Mexico City, then moved with his parents to East Chicago, Indiana, as a small child. He learned English through comic books, television and the neighborhood kids and later earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University before graduating from the Dayton Police Academy. He joined the force in 1989.

Maj. Brian Johns wears a black bracelet every day to honor DelRio, which bears his name and end of watch. Originally, he planned to wear it through the adjudication process for those responsible for ending his life. “But I think I’ll probably wear it for probably the rest of my life. … It symbolizes George, it symbolizes the Dayton Police Department, it symbolizes, and George symbolizes, the sacrifices that people make.”

“People honor George in their different ways,” said detective Thomas Oney. “I have a tie pin with his badge and badge number on it and his end of watch on it and I also keep a picture of George on my desk at my computer so I see his face every day and that brings back memories of the time that we shared together on the police department and off the police department.

“I like to think of all the good times we had, his laughter, the type of person he was,” Oney said.

His four daughters described DelRio as an all-around great person who would light up the room, had a great sense of humor and was a good friend to his family.

Lt. Col. Eric Henderson, the deputy director and assistant chief of the Dayton Police Department, said DelRio was one of the best officers he ever encountered in undercover work.

“Everyone loved George,” he said. “How could you not? He was always laughing, smiling, joking. But when it came time to work he was very serious and was good at what he did,” he said.

“He paid the ultimate sacrifice for the work he did. What I can say is he died doing the job he loved doing. He wanted to be involved in this type of work because I think he knew that it mattered.”

Two Dayton men were sentenced in September in U.S. District Court in Dayton to life in prison for their roles in the narcotics case that led to the death of DelRio, a detective and DEA task force member.

Nathan Goddard, 44, was the gunman who killed DelRio while trying to prevent federal agents from seizing approximately $500,000 worth of fentanyl and other drugs, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. He was sentenced to life plus 10 years in prison.

Goddard also was convicted along with Cahke Cortner, 44, of multiple narcotics and firearms charges. Cortner was sentenced to life plus five years in prison.

A third man, Lionel Combs III, 45, pleaded guilty just before the trial started to maintaining a drug premises and faces up to 20 years in prison, according to federal court records.