Jury Finds Tulsa Man Guilty Of Murder And DUI For 2022 Crash

A Tulsa County Jury finds a man guilty of second-degree murder for a DUI crash that killed an ORU soccer player last year.

Officers say Eugene Quaynor was sitting at a red light at 71st and Yale when Nicholas Robinson crashed into him, going 73 mph in a 45 mph zone.

Quaynor’s friends say he was a truly kind person, and no verdict will bring him back.

The jury recommended Robinson serve at least 35 years in prison for the crash.

Quaynor came to ORU from Ghana on a soccer scholarship.

His friends say he was a hard worker, a good leader and kind.

"When people die, everyone overhypes them,” said Elizabeth Zellmer. “But you really cannot overhype. You can't overhype Eugene Quaynor."

Robinson’s attorneys argued there were issues with the way Robinson’s Blood Alcohol Level was recorded and there was evidence that showed Robinson wasn’t intoxicated.

The defense said that evidence got lost, so the jury wasn’t able to see it.

"The accident was horrific, there are no words to describe the scene,” said Stanley Monroe, Robinson’s attorney. “On the other hand, my client is a young man, he's in his mid-thirties, a very significant sentence that he faces."

Prosecutors said when it came to collecting Robinson’s bloodwork, all proper procedures were followed.

Prosecutors showed the jury a video of Robinson after the crash that they argued showed Robinson was intoxicated.

"My heart goes out to the family, and this is just a tragic loss of life,” said John Tjeerdsma, the Assistant District Attorney. “The jury can do their part and I appreciate their service, but there unfortunately is no justice in this case because there's no bringing Eugene back from this."

Quaynor’s loved ones say he was a forgiving person, and they know no outcome would bring him back, so they’re choosing to live their lives to make him proud.

"Everyone says, why him?” said Zellmer. “Because he really was the best. But he's probably too good for this place anyway."

The jury recommended a 35-year sentence for the murder charge and a 4.5-year sentence for the DUI charge.

The judge will decide next month whether these sentences will run at the same time or back-to-back.