Son guilty of manslaughter for barbecue shooting

Darius Goodwin sits in court as he's found guilty of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of his father two years ago. Darius Goodwin sits in court as he's found guilty of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of his father two years ago. Photo: John Davenport / San Antonio Express-News Photo: John Davenport / San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Son guilty of manslaughter for barbecue shooting 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

SAN ANTONIO — After about 12 hours of deliberations over two days, jurors determined Wednesday that Darius Goodwin was guilty of manslaughter — not murder — for fatally shooting his father at a family barbecue in June 2012.

It never was disputed that Goodwin, 22, pulled the trigger and shot his father, Daniel Goodwin, 41, in the chest.

However, the state argued he did so out of anger, while the defense said he feared for his life after his father attacked first.

Jurors in the 144th state District Court now will determine Goodwin's punishment for manslaughter, which ranges between two and 20 years in prison. Manslaughter is defined as recklessly causing the death of someone else.

Prosecutors had asked that Darius Goodwin be convicted of murder — a first-degree felony that could have resulted in a sentence of up to life in prison.

The defendant and his sister, Danielle Walker, lived in an East Side apartment with their father and two other adults. His sister and her husband both testified that Daniel Goodwin pushed Darius Goodwin into a barbecue pit and threw the first punch when the two got into an argument over helping prepare the food they planned to eat while taking in the NBA Finals game between the Heat and Thunder.

Defense attorney Michael Hoyle conceded in closing arguments Friday that Darius Goodwin was being a “smart aleck,” repeatedly prodding his father to help cook.

Eventually, both men ended up inside the apartment, where a fistfight ensued in the bedroom they shared. Prosecutor Jan Ischy-Prins told jurors that Goodwin was fed up and shot his father out of rage.

Hoyle countered that under Texas law, “you're not required to stand there and take it.”

mcasady@express-news.net

Twitter: @MichelleCasady