State v. Craft

2025 Ohio 2045
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 9, 2025
Docket3-23-44
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 2025 Ohio 2045 (State v. Craft) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Craft, 2025 Ohio 2045 (Ohio Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Craft, 2025-Ohio-2045.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO THIRD APPELLATE DISTRICT CRAWFORD COUNTY

STATE OF OHIO, CASE NO. 3-23-44 PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE,

V.

DAKOTA CRAFT, OPINION AND JUDGMENT ENTRY DEFENDANT-APPELLANT.

Appeal from Crawford County Common Pleas Court Criminal Division Trial Court No. 23-CR-0244

Judgment Affirmed

Date of Decision: June 9, 2025

APPEARANCES:

William T. Cramer for Appellant

Matthew E. Crall for Appellee Case No. 3-23-44

MILLER, J.

{¶1} Defendant-appellant, Dakota Craft (“Craft”), appeals the November 2,

2023 judgment entry of sentencing of the Crawford County Common Pleas Court.

For the reasons that follow, we affirm.

{¶2} On August 8, 2023, Craft was indicted on six counts: Count One of

felonious assault in violation of R.C. 2903.11(A)(2), a second-degree felony; Count

Two of improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation in violation of R.C.

2923.161(A)(1), a second-degree felony; Count Three of intimidation of an

attorney, victim, or witness in a criminal case in violation of R.C. 2921.04(B)(2), a

third-degree felony; Count Four of having weapons while under disability in

violation of R.C. 2923.13(A)(2), a third-degree felony; and Counts Five and Six of

tampering with evidence in violation of R.C. 2921.12(A)(1), third-degree felonies.

Counts One, Two and Five each included a firearm specification. At his

arraignment on August 10, 2023, Craft entered not-guilty pleas to the counts in the

indictment.

{¶3} A jury trial was held on October 19-20 and 23-24, 2023. At trial,

Bobbilee Perry (“Perry”) testified that she lived at 410 South Union Street in Galion,

Ohio on May 23, 2023 with her boyfriend, her eight children, and her boyfriend’s

parents. That morning, she awoke to gunshots. Although initially Perry did not

-2- Case No. 3-23-44

believe that her house had been shot, shortly thereafter, she recognized that her

house had been targeted when she noted bullet holes in her wall and television.

{¶4} Investigators at the scene observed a bullet hole in the window and one

in the siding of the house at 410 South Union Street. Several days later, they learned

of a third bullet entry in the garage behind the house. Law enforcement also

collected three shell casings from the scene. Detective Robert Bukey recovered a

bullet from inside Perry’s dresser and another bullet in the sheets of the bed that

Perry and her boyfriend, Dusty Harris (“Harris”) were sleeping in at the time of the

shooting.

{¶5} Although Perry was initially unsure of who fired a gun into her house,

she detailed that she soon began to suspect Craft. Perry recalled an incident two

days earlier where she and Harris were working outside on the deck of their house.

Perry’s friend Karrie Murphy (“Karrie”) and her husband Brandon Murphy

(“Brandon”), who had one time stayed at 410 South Union, were also present that

evening helping Perry and Harris work on their deck and socializing. While

working outside, Perry noticed Craft and his girlfriend Victoria Loftis (“Loftis”)

walking down the alley by 410 South Union together and laughing. The sighting of

Craft and Loftis was uncomfortable because Brandon and Loftis had previously

been involved romantically while Brandon and Karrie were separated. As a result,

there was a sustained period of “bad blood” and “anger” between Karrie and Loftis.

(Oct. 19-20 & 23-24, 2023 Tr. at 263-264).

-3- Case No. 3-23-44

{¶6} Karrie became upset at Loftis and Craft’s presence, and Karrie followed

Loftis around the corner, taunting her. Eventually, Karrie initiated a physical

altercation with Loftis, and Perry, Harris, and Brandon followed Karrie and became

involved in the altercation. However, Craft attempted to break up the fight and Craft

and Loftis walked away.

{¶7} At 12:03 a.m. on May 23, 2023, Karrie sent Craft a message on

Facebook messenger stating “Tf [sic] you sending me a friend request for? Nah

nvm just tell your dirty bitch I ain’t done with her yet.” (State’s Ex. C). At 4:30

a.m., Craft responded to Karrie’s message saying “Idk who you even are lmao.”

(Id.). Within an hour, the shooting at 410 South Union occurred. Karrie testified

that she believed Craft had the mistaken belief that she and her family resided at

410 South Union Street.

{¶8} Loftis testified that on the morning of May 23, 2023, she and Craft were

staying in the garage of Craft’s mother’s house at 543 McDonald in Galion and had

been staying there for several weeks. She described the location at 543 McDonald

as being only a few blocks away from 410 Union Street and recalled that because

Craft did not have a working vehicle, their main method of transportation was

walking. Craft was in the business of selling drugs and Craft was using drugs,

including steroids, hallucinogenic mushrooms, and marijuana.

{¶9} Loftis recalled that on the morning of May 23, 2023, she awoke around

4:30 or 5:00 a.m. concerned that Craft was not in bed. She got up and attempted to

-4- Case No. 3-23-44

locate him. Eventually, she observed Craft getting on his bicycle and leaving.

Loftis was unsure of where he was going. Approximately 10 to 15 minutes later,

Craft returned “out of breath” and “sweating.” (Oct. 19-20 & 23-24, 2023 Tr. at

308-309). Loftis testified that in the time that Craft was gone on his bike, she heard

three gunshots coming from the direction of Perry and Harris’s house. Accordingly,

Loftis suspected that Craft shot at Perry and Harris’s house. Loftis testified that

Craft later admitted to her that he shot three rounds through the front door of the

house.

{¶10} When Craft got off his bike, she noticed that Craft had “bulk”

consistent with a firearm on his waistband. (Id. at 341). Then, Craft asked Loftis

to go with him to “ditch the bike.” (Id. at 310). After abandoning the bike at a

nearby trailer park, Craft and Loftis returned home. Loftis testified that she had

seen Craft with a gun before and described the firearm as a black handgun with a

snakeskin design on the handle grips.

{¶11} Loftis recalled that, on the morning of the shooting, she was in the

shower when the police arrived at 543 McDonald to ask questions. Loftis recalled

that Craft came into the bathroom to tell her the cops were there and to warn her to

“be cool” and “keep my fucking mouth shut.” (Id. at 313). Loftis stated that she

did not tell the police that morning that Craft shot up the house because she

understood Craft’s statement to be a threat and she did not want him to hurt her.

-5- Case No. 3-23-44

{¶12} According to Loftis, in the weeks leading up to the shooting in May,

Craft was using steroids, THC, acid, and DMT. With respect to Craft’s steroid use,

Loftis testified that she observed that Craft’s steroid use caused him to act “angry”

and that it seems like he had “roid rage.” (Oct. 19-20 & 23-24, 2023 Tr. at 323).

{¶13} On June 28, 2023, several weeks after the shooting, Loftis was arrested

on unrelated charges. While she was incarcerated, Loftis continued to communicate

with Craft, who was also incarcerated. In one of the communications, Loftis stated,

“Just remember who kept quiet bro...” (State’s Ex. F-1). Craft responded to the

message by stating “I know and just remember who trie[d] to keep you out of jail

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Bluebook (online)
2025 Ohio 2045, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-craft-ohioctapp-2025.