State v. Craft

2025 Ohio 2045
Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided June 9, 2025·No. 3-23-44·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

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

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

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).

{¶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

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.

{¶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 and better your life [for real].” (State’s Ex. Nos. F-2, F-3).

{¶14} Eventually, Loftis spoke to law enforcement about her observations the morning of the shooting. In exchange for her truthful testimony, the State offered her a deal dismissing pending charges in her unrelated case. (State’s Ex. P).

{¶15} Several additional witnesses testified regarding Craft’s use of steroids and other drugs. Notably, Matthew Fargo (“Fargo”), a longtime friend of Craft, testified that he and Craft communicated frequently on the Facebook Messenger platform regarding various subjects, including their anabolic steroid use.

{¶16} In a June 9, 2023 conversation, Craft told Fargo that the steroids “made me do some bad shit.” (State’s Ex. N). Craft then sent Fargo two Facebook messages which Craft subsequently deleted. (Id.). However, Fargo recalled that the deleted messages may have been links to articles regarding the shooting in

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