Two murder cases were tried this week in Lowndes County Circuit Court, one resulting in a conviction and the other ending with a mistrial on a hung jury.
Israel Buckhalter, 44, was sentenced Thursday morning to serve 19 years in prison for the 2020 death of his cousin, Desi Shepard, 32. In a separate case, 24-year-old Bobby Childs Jr. will face another day in court for a 2022 fatal shooting on Jess Lyons Road.
After four hours of deliberation, the jury convicted Buckhalter of a count each of manslaughter and shooting into a dwelling, Assistant District Attorney Ben Lang said.
Lang said before the killing, the two men were “like brothers.”
“It’s really sad,” Lang told The Dispatch on Friday. “It’s a big family. They were a very close family, and in a lot of ways, like we saw at the sentencing (Thursday), it’s just torn them apart, and they’ve lost two people now because of this.”
Buckhalter and Shepard got into an argument at a small get-together July 25, 2020, in Buckhalter’s home on Springdale Drive, Lang said. Shepard left the get-together, but Buckhalter shot him when he returned.
Arguing self-defense, Buckhalter testified that Shepard was “dangerous,” had a bad temper and had access to several firearms. He also claimed Shepard had physically assaulted family members in the past.
“(Buckhalter’s) story was that (Shepard) came back four times, and he was banging on the door trying to force his way into the house,” Lang told The Dispatch. “… There was no other evidence to support it other than just his testimony.”
At about 10:30 p.m., Shepard was sitting, unarmed, in his car in front of Buckhalter’s home, Lang said. Buckhalter then stood at the front of his home with an AK-47 semi-automatic assault rifle and fired 15 rounds in the direction of Shepard’s vehicle.
Five bullets struck the car, one of which fragmented and hit Shepard in the back of the head. Three houses across the street were also struck by the gunfire.
Both Buckhalter and his neighbors called police after the shooting occurred. He was arrested on scene by Columbus Police Department and was initially charged with aggravated assault.
At the time of Buckhalter’s arrest, Shepard was unconscious but still breathing.
Shepard died at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle early the following day.
Buckhalter was indicted for second-degree murder and two counts of shooting into a dwelling in February 2021.
Lang told The Dispatch that second-degree murder is an action that “shows a depraved heart” and demonstrates no “regard for the safety of human life.”
The middle ground between second-degree murder and self-defense, Lang said, was imperfect self-defense manslaughter, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
Buckhalter was originally tried for the crime in May 2024, though the case ended in a mistrial after the defense claimed it needed time to review additional crime scene photos.
Judge Jim Kitchens sentenced Buckhalter to 20 years with six suspended for the manslaughter charge and 10 years with five suspended for the second charge. Both sentences will be served consecutively.
Defense attorney Matthew Eichelberger, based out of Jackson, could not be reached for comment by press time.
Hung jury
A second murder case ended in a mistrial Friday morning.
Childs Jr., 24, was indicted for first-degree murder in November 2023 after allegedly fatally shooting Julius L. Wilson, 55, in a residence on Jess Lyons Road in 2022.
The trial began Tuesday, with Judge Michelle Easterling presiding and the Attorney General’s office prosecuting the case.
Closing arguments were heard Thursday, and the jury was hung 6-6 Friday morning, resulting in a mistrial, 16th Circuit District Attorney Scott Colom told The Dispatch.
According to previous reporting by The Dispatch, Childs was allegedly arguing with a female at the residence on the day of the shooting.
The woman called her uncle, Wilson. When he arrived, he and Childs began arguing, and Childs allegedly shot him in the face and chest before fleeing the scene.
Childs turned himself in to police the following day.
As of Friday afternoon, a retrial had not been scheduled.
Murder trial next week
A third murder trial will begin Tuesday in Judge Lee Howard’s courtroom.
Justin Coggins, of Caledonia, faces a manslaughter charge for the 2022 shooting of his mother’s boyfriend, Dustin Hoffpauir, 33, which took place hours after his high school graduation.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
