After nearly nine hours of jury deliberation Friday, Dalton Perkins was convicted of first-degree voluntary manslaughter for killing his father during a heated argument in May 2025 at the family home in Sturgeon.
Dalton Perkins sheds a tear while listening to the defense give its closing arguments on Friday at the Boone County Courthouse.
When 13th Circuit Court Judge Benjamin Miller delivered the verdict to the court at 9:30 p.m., Perkins shook his head and stared at the floor. His mother, Tracy Perkins, who was in the house during the shooting, had no visible reaction.
Perkins, 33, was also convicted of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a firearm. The jury found him not guilty of domestic assault.
In Missouri, a conviction of voluntary manslaughter carries a prison sentence of five to 15 years. Perkins had originally been charged with second-degree murder, but the jury found him guilty of a lesser charge that involves “sudden passion arising from adequate cause.”
Before the jury began to weigh the evidence Friday, the defense re-opened its case so Perkins could take the witness stand. After initially waiving his right to testify earlier in the trial, Perkins said he changed his mind after talking to his attorney.
In his two-hour testimony, he pleaded a case of self-defense. He told the jury that he and his father, Stephen Perkins, had a good relationship but often disagreed about work and chores around the property.
On the stand, he argued that he shot is father in self-defense after being slammed face-down on the floor and held in a chokehold. He also told the jury his father had tried to rip out his hair and choke him until he couldn’t breathe.
After releasing his grip, Perkins said his father ran into another room and grabbed a shotgun. Perkins said he also held a gun, but he told the jury, “I was scared for my life.”
In an emotional ending statement, Perkins said he never meant to kill his father. He just didn’t want him to use the shotgun.
“Nobody wants to kill their father,” he said.
After Perkins’ testimony, the two opposing attorneys presented their closing arguments.
Prosecutor Anthony Gonzalez argued that specific rules apply to a self-defense argument, and this case did not comply with those rules. He also argued that Perkins intentionally killed his father, and his final testimony on the witness stand could have twisted the truth.
The defense attorney, John Marshall, argued that Perkins feared for his life during the altercation after his father pinned him to the ground and then grabbed a shotgun.
Marshall also told the jury Perkins was compliant with his arrest, almost as if he were in a state of shock from the incident.
After Miller delivered the verdict, the defense requested additional time to file a motion for a new trial to set aside the conviction.
Perkins will remain in Boone County Jail until he is sentenced. A disposition hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 30.