Jury starts deliberating verdict in trial of Sturgeon man accused of killing father

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The jury in the murder trial of Dalton Perkins began deliberating the verdict at 1:30 p.m. on Friday.

Friday was the third day of Perkins' trial for allegedly killing his father. The day began with Perkins taking the stand.

Perkins, 33, of Sturgeon, is charged with second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, one count of first-degree domestic assault and a count of unlawful use of a weapon for the death of his 56-year-old father, Steven Perkins, in May 2025

Taking the stand, Dalton Perkins spoke about his living situation and the events leading up to the shooting. He testified that he lived in a separate house on his parents' property, where leaving guns out of the safe in their home office was common. On the day of the incident, he had a shotgun out for a planned turkey hunt.

While testifying, Dalton Perkins said later that day he turned down his music in the sunroom after both parents complained, though he noted his father’s approach "rubbed me the wrong way." He skipped dinner to keep his distance, but an argument broke out. Dalton Perkins testified that his mother fell when he unintentionally pushed her, prompting his father to tackle him face-first to the floor and place him in a chokehold.

According to his testimony, he was unable to breathe; Dalton Perkins told his parents they were trying to kill him and testified he thought he was going to die. After getting out of the chokehold, he saw his father run toward the room where the shotgun was located, he said. Perkins testified that he grabbed a gun off the refrigerator on instinct and accidentally fired it after hearing a loud noise.

Perkins broke into tears during a part of his testimony.

Yesterday, Dalton Perkins' mother testified about the events of that day.

The trial began on Monday and was initially expected to be two days. Perkins' mother testified on Thursday, telling the court that Dalton had told her "I just shot your husband" after the shooting.