BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—Closing arguments were presented on Tuesday morning in the trial of Dakota Craft, who is facing several felonies related to a house shooting in May. Crawford County Assistant Prosecutor Dan Stanley meticulously reviewed the evidence with the jury, urging them to imagine the horror experienced by the Perry family, who were awakened by gunshots into their home. Stanley emphasized that it was a heinous crime that could have easily resulted in murder.
Stanley explained to the jury that Craft was driven to action after receiving a message from Karrie Murphy about his girlfriend Victoria Loftis. Craft then rode his bike to the house he believed Murphy occupied and shot at it. Although Craft did not personally know Murphy, he had seen her at the residence two days earlier when she started a fight with Loftis over her affair with Murphy’s husband and other personal issues between them.
The state pointed out that Craft was clever enough to dispose of the gun and the bike. However, he did not anticipate that the only person who knew about his actions would eventually inform the police. Victoria Loftis eventually cooperated with the investigation.
Stanley reminded the jury that there were messages and calls where Craft admitted to his friend that he shot at a house. He urged the jury to pay attention to the intimidation and threats against Loftis and to use their common sense in finding Craft guilty.
Defense attorney Jerry Thompson vigorously defended his client, reminding the jury of evidence that the state was unable to provide, including the gun. Thompson criticized the police for not conducting gunshot residue tests, despite Craft’s full cooperation. The state had accused Craft of being under the influence of drugs and experiencing rage due to steroids.
Thompson argued that his client was the calm one and the peacemaker in the situation. He invited the jury to consider the various individuals involved in the altercation initiated by Karrie Murphy. Thompson highlighted that the state’s main witness against Craft was the woman he left his wife and family for, Victoria Loftis.
Thompson portrayed Loftis as an adulterer who had slept with Murphy’s husband, broken into her home, vandalized it, and stolen her property. He suggested that while Murphy was the aggressor in their fight, Loftis had the motive to shoot at the house.
Thompson asserted that while his client may have engaged in online banter, he did not shoot at the house, and all other charges stemmed from that action. He argued that the failure of the Galion police department to thoroughly investigate the crime and conduct gunshot residue tests created enough reasonable doubt to warrant a not-guilty verdict for his client.
The case is now in the hands of the jury, and Crawford County Now will continue to provide updates on this developing news story.
