Two relatives passed away without witnessing the Harding Street couple’s names being cleared, even after five years.

Sometimes, January 28, 2019, feels as if it occurred just yesterday. “And at times, it feels like eons,” expressed Jo Ann Nicholas, a grieving mother still mourning her daughter, Rhogena. “But every day, I miss her.”

The 89-year-old isn’t alone in the haunting recollections of that tragic day five years ago. Hundreds of miles away, Ryan Tuttle, Dennis’ son, also reflects. “I was watching the news, and I noticed something unfolding on Harding Street. I immediately tried calling my dad,” recounted Ryan Tuttle.

However, Dennis Tuttle never answered. On that fateful January afternoon, a Houston Police Department narcotics squad, led by lead case agent Gerald Goines, executed a no-knock warrant at the home where Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas resided. Gunfire erupted. When the chaos subsided, Rhogena, Dennis, and their dog were deceased. Several officers, including Goines, sustained injuries.

The warrant, approved by a judge for the no-knock raid, was later discovered to contain false information – alleging the couple were entrenched heroin dealers. But their families vehemently refute such claims.

“I would’ve known if my dad was a drug dealer,” asserted Ryan Tuttle. “He absolutely was not. He’s a very sweet, very loving, and peaceful person, not a drug dealer.”

No heroin was found. Within 24 hours, the narrative put forth by Houston police began crumbling. Jo Ann Nicholas, residing in the small town of Natchitoches, Louisiana, knew her daughter wasn’t involved in drug dealing. “I knew from the beginning it wasn’t her. They didn’t have drugs. I knew because Dennis stayed in bed most of the time because he had seizures,” she affirmed.

Dennis Tuttle, a Navy veteran, had suffered an industrial accident years prior and was disabled, his son mentioned.

In the ensuing months, Goines would face murder charges in state court and civil rights violations in federal court. Goines’ then-partner, Steven Bryant, was also charged. Nevertheless, on the fifth anniversary of the botched Harding Street raid, no murder trial has commenced.

“I’m here to remind everyone that these five years, our family has been unable to receive any answers to achieve any closure,” stated Cliff Tuttle, Dennis’ uncle and a family representative. “There’s been no accountability of the City of Houston or the officers to explain and take ownership of this murder.”

Last week, the City of Houston allocated an additional $1.7 million for defending civil lawsuits brought by the Tuttle and Nicholas families.

The Harris County District Attorney’s Office issued a brief statement asserting readiness for trial. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas provided a detailed explanation, citing the case’s complexity and ongoing developments.

As the families endure the wait, time has been unkind. Rhogena Nicholas’ brother, John, who led efforts to clear his sister’s name, passed away two years ago. Dennis Tuttle’s father, Robert, who never recovered from the shock of his son’s death, also passed away last year. Neither witnessed their loved ones’ names cleared.

Cliff and Ryan Tuttle persist in the family’s mission: to clear Dennis’ name. “The most frustrating part is the lack of accountability,” expressed Ryan Tuttle. “My father’s and stepmother’s names have been tarnished, and that needs rectifying.”

Meanwhile, Jo Ann Nicholas still awakens once a month, believing she heard a knock at the door. Five years ago, local Louisiana police informed her she needed to contact Houston police. She pledges to continue the fight for as long as she can.