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When officers arrived they found one man lying on the ground, suffering from a gunshot wound and another who had just been transported to the local hospital, suffering from a gunshot wound.
Dakton Ferrell was transported by the Rescue Squad to the local hospital where he underwent surgery, but died later the next morning around 9:15 a.m. following surgery, according to testimony Friday from Sheriff’s Investigator Jimmy Clay. The cause of death was listed as a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The second man, 18 year old Solomn M. Jeffress of Jeffress Trail, Alton, was airlifted to Duke Medical Center for treatment.
On Friday, the 18 year old Jeffress testified that he is a member of the Piru Blood gang, having joined when he was only 14 years old, living in Columbus, Ohio. He explained to the court that gangs have their own means of communication — with hand signs and symbols. He noted that while he was at the home of Dakton, aka “Twink” and Melissa Ferrell another man had come in as the group was hanging out — watching movies, drinking and playing cards. He said the man, who was later identified as Wilkins, aka “Black” made a “CK” hand sign, which indicated to him he was a “Cripp Killer.
“You bang blue, I bang red; I’m a Blood, you’re a Cripp,” Jeffress said of Wilkins. And although the two sat down and had a conversation, later trouble arose between the two. Jeffress said everyone went outside the house, but Wilkins had left his shirt inside and he, Jeffress, went inside to get it. He testified that he tossed the shirt to Wilkins, with it hitting him in the face and Wilkins took off running. “It means disrespect for a Blood to touch a Cripps’ shirt,” he testified.
As Wilkins ran toward the back of the house, Jeffress chased him and Wilkins tripped and fell. Jeffress said Wilkins pulled out a handgun and began shooting with one shot hitting him and another hitting Ferrell who had followed the men running toward the back of the house.
In response to defense attorney Tracy Quackenbush’s questioning, Jeffress said he had kicked Wilkins as he lay on the ground before he started shooting and he “might have stomped him.” Quackenbush indicated she would contend the shooting was in self defense.
Another witness, Hakeem Patrick, aka “Punch” testified he was at the Ferrell home and had noticed animosity going on. He said Twink had told him that Jeffress had a problem with Wilkins. When Jeffress and Wilkins ran toward the back of the house, Patrick said he and Twink ran after them after hearing two shots. Then two more shots were fired and Twink dropped, he said. He noted that Wilkins stood in the driveway for ten or fifteen minutes and then walked off.