Brian Smith
A jury should be seated Monday morning in the murder trial of a Sand Gap man charged with murder for a shooting in Berea two days before Christmas last year.
David A. Daugherty, 41, of Sand Gap, faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted for the Dec. 23, 2008, shooting death of Christopher Shane Adkins, 34, of Berea.
Adkins was killed by a shotgun blast outside a home in the 5500 block of Battlefield Memorial Highway and was pronounced dead at 5:50 a.m. at Saint Joseph-Berea hospital by Madison County Coroner Jimmy Cornelison.
Prosecutors are expected to call the state medical examiner to testify along with Detective Steve King of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, the lead investigator in the case.
King testified at a preliminary hearing in the case on Jan. 7 in Madison District Court and said Adkins was approximately 35 feet away from Daugherty when the shooting occurred.
The shooting apparently stemmed from a disagreement between Daugherty and Adkins that occurred the night before at a home in Jackson County and which may have been related to a drug deal, King testified.
Adkins was dropping two women off at the home on Battlefield Highway, King testified, and Daugherty and another man identified as Adam Anglin had been following Adkins in another vehicle.
King testified that Daugherty had given one of the women $40 after the two vehicles stopped at the home in Berea, and then followed the woman to her car.
At that point, Adkins got out of his vehicle brandishing a baseball bat and shattered a window on Daugherty’s truck, King said.
Daugherty then allegedly took a 12-gauge shotgun from the truck and shot Adkins, King testified.
All of the witnesses in the case, including Daugherty, gave similar stories to King and other investigators, the detective said.
Daugherty has been lodged in the Madison County Detention Center since his arrest following the shooting.
The trial is expected to last at least two days, based on statements made by prosecutors and Daugherty’s attorney, public defender Meena Mohanty.
Madison Circuit Judge William G. Clouse will preside over the trial.
Brian Smith may be reached at bsmith@richmondregister.com or at 624-6694.
