Man gets 10 to 13 years in shooting death

A Wilson man was sentenced to 10 to 13 years in state prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder Tuesday in Wilson County Criminal Superior Court.

Justice Raquan Lucas, 25, was in his second day of a jury trial on a first-degree murder charge when he agreed to a plea arrangement with prosecutors.

The charges stem from the shooting of 31-year-old Troy McKinley Lofton after a 3:14 a.m. confrontation at a home on the 4200 block of Thistle Drive on Feb. 6, 2022.

Lucas’ attorney, Damian Tucker, said his client entered an Alford plea.

Tucker said his client shot Lofton after Lofton pulled a gun on Lucas’ friend.

Tucker said Lucas admitted to shooting at Lofton.

Lofton, of 203 Emory St. W. in Wilson, died at the scene after being shot once in the back of his head.

Superior Court Judge William Wolfe sentenced Lucas to serve a minimum of 120 months and a maximum of 156 months in state prison.

Lucas initially pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. A jury of six men and six women had been impaneled to hear the case.

In testimony Monday, Officer Jack Davies of the Wilson Police Department said he responded to the shooting and found Lofton on the ground bleeding and unresponsive.

Assistant District Attorney John Clark showed jurors Davies’ body camera footage from the scene.

Davies testified to finding a single gunshot shell on the ground near the victim.

Wilson resident Jamie Lucas told the court he was hosting a gathering of people at his Thistle Drive home when an altercation erupted. Jamie Lucas testified that he asked everyone to leave.

Within a couple of minutes, there was a gunshot, Jamie Lucas testified.

“When I stepped outside, I could see the people scrambling,” he told the court, adding that he saw a man on the ground and didn’t know his identity.

During Monday’s testimony, Jamie Lucas was heard on Davies’ body camera video telling Lofton, who was motionless on the ground, “Stay with us,” “People are praying for you” and “You got this.”

Doorbell camera video and audio were presented to the jury. The video doesn’t show the shooting because people standing on the porch obscured the scene, but the gunshot is audible.

The trial was supposed to continue at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. After an hour-long delay, the defendant made his plea.

Clark told the court Tuesday that Justice Lucas went to the Thistle Drive home with Dakwon Jacquez Blackston, and while there, Blackston got into an altercation with Lofton.

Clark said doorbell camera video shows Justice Lucas and Blackston entering the home, adding that Lucas was wearing the same jacket he wore in a Feb. 4 rap video. The rap video shows Lucas holding a handgun.

The state said witnesses told police they saw Lucas shoot Lofton. Clark said some witnesses were afraid to come forward because they felt threatened.

“The family is broken after this. Troy never got to learn that he had a son on the way, and that son will grow up without a father,” Clark said.

Before sentencing, Tucker said the defense would have contended that Loftin had a gun in his hand on the morning of the shooting.

“When he (Justice Lucas) saw Mr. Lofton pull out a gun, he fired one shot,” Tucker said.

Tucker said the guilty plea was “the best decision for all parties involved.”

Saneah Harris, the victim’s sister, spoke on the family’s behalf prior to sentencing.

“He was a great brother, a father, a son. This has put a rift in everything,” Harris said. “I still wake up speaking to my brother.”

Harris said the killing hurt her parents deeply.

“This has destroyed everything we know. His son was born seven months after his death. Our superhero is gone,” Harris said.

Holding back tears, Harris said it was terrible that a split-second decision could cause so much pain and hurt.

“I will never hug my brother again. It’s not fair. It’s living hell, my worst nightmare, my worst fear,” she said. “I wish I could wake up and see it was a bad dream.”

Harris said her brother was “not a bad guy.”

“I wish everybody could have walked away and gone on to live another day,” Harris said. “To me, he’s a kid. These kids are making very stupid decisions and it is affecting their families. Our family is just torn to shreds. No punishment will bring my brother back, but it will give us some kind of closure.”

Prior to sentencing, the defendant rose and spoke to the judge.

“I am so sorry,” Lucas said. “I love everybody. I hate it happened. From my heart, I am sorry.”

At sentencing, Wolfe ordered Lucas to have no contact with the victim’s family and not to visit the scene of the crime. Wolfe also ordered that Lucas be given the opportunity for vocational training while in prison.

The jury wasn’t present in the courtroom to witness the defendant’s plea. After Justice Lucas received his sentence, jurors were returned to the courtroom and thanked for their service in the case.

Blackston still faces a felony charge of acting as an accessory after the fact in the February 2022 killing.

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