A jury has found Latoshia Daniels guilty of second-degree murder over the 2019 fatal shooting of Memphis pastor Brodes Perry.
Daniels, 46, was also convicted of reckless endangerment for injuring Perry's wife, Tabatha in the shooting. She was facing charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and use of a firearm during a felony. It took jurors just a couple of hours to return the verdict.
Daniels Drove from Arkansas to Memphis to Kill Perry
According to prosecutors, Daniels killed Pastor, who was the pastor at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, while the two were involved in an affair and the murder was pre-meditated. Daniels shot and killed Perry at the Meridian Place Apartments in Collierville.
Prosecuting Attorney Kevin McAlpin said Daniels and Perry knew each other because he had been a pastor at Saint Mark's Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, and she was a member there.
The prosecution argued that Daniels' decision to purchase a gun and drive two and a half hours from Arkansas to Memphis was proof of premeditation.
Daniels Attorneys Claimed it was a Crime of Passion Fueled by Perry's Manipulation
During the trial, Daniels' attorneys never denied that she shot Perry or his wife, but said it was a crime of passion, fueled by Perry's alleged manipulation.
"That's why we did push for that voluntary manslaughter and the reckless endangerment, because she was under such emotional distress when this happened. But, she was not thinking clearly," said Defense Attorney Lauren Fuchs.
On Thursday, the defense called Daniels to testify. On the witness stand, Daniels admitted that she shot Perry, but she said she accidentally shot his wife.
Daniels Said She Became Suicidal, Shot Perry After He Unexpectedly Ended the Relationship
Daniels said she became suicidal when Perry unexpectedly ended the relationship in April of 2019, so she purchased a gun from Fort Thompson Sporting Goods in Sherwood, Arkansas. She said she drove two and a half hours to Perry's Collierville apartment because he told her that they would tell his wife about the affair.
In her testimony, Daniels also stated that during her second marriage, her husband was emotionally distant and neglectful. She said she tried to get her husband to agree to marriage counseling because she didn't want another failed marriage.
Daniels said she reached out to Perry about counseling because he served as an executive pastor and leader of her life church group. Two to three weeks after the first session, Daniels said she met Perry for a second counseling session.
Daniels stated that while she was talking to him, Perry pulled her chair close to him and started kissing her, and they had sex. She said that Perry, at that moment, gave her everything she had been missing for a long time. Daniels is expected to be sentenced sometime next year, following a hearing in December.
