Bachman, 19, of Fort Dodge, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder after shooting 14-year-old James four times on June 17, 2023, in the 1200 block of First Avenue North.

The jury verdict was unanimous, but defense attorney Judd Parker requested that jurors be questioned before the trial was adjourned.

As the verdict was read by District Court Judge Christopher Polking, Kiera Summers, Bachman’s girlfriend and a witness to the crime, wept openly. Her grandmother put her hands to her face and cried. Bachman remained stoic.

Bachman’s first-degree murder trial began last Tuesday in Webster County District Court. Prosecutors rested the case on Monday. Defense attorneys wrapped up their case on Tuesday.

Closing arguments began Wednesday morning. Webster County Deputy District Attorney Bailey Taylor said Bachman’s words and actions “We killed Dakari James willfully, deliberately and deliberately.”

Taylor referenced more than 50 text and Snapchat messages between Bachman, James and witness Elijah Hunt on the day of the shooting.

“Isaac Bachman told you on the stand that he was afraid, yet he actively approached Dakari James, even telling him, ‘If you try to disrespect my daughter, I’ll kill you.’” Taylor said.

Taylor said Bachman deliberately waited for James to come to his house, even sitting in a lawn chair with a gun in his hand, and deliberately waited for James to arrive. “He looks her in the eye and shoots her.”

‘He attacked with a gun during a fist fight’ Taylor said.

But Parker told jurors in his closing argument that Bachman feared for his and Summers’ safety and fired to protect himself and his girlfriend when James crossed the doorstep.

“The person who started the fight was Dakari James, who was at his house on his own property.” said Parker, focusing on your basic law defense.

Parker showed the jury multiple body camera and Ring camera videos introduced into evidence during closing arguments. When jurors were shown the video of the shooting, Bachman’s grandmother audibly gasped as she covered her face.

“He tried to break into my door” Bachman said in body camera footage shown to jurors. “I’m not worried. I don’t feel good about this.”

Parker said his client’s calm demeanor and willing confession to officers showed his client was not as unstable as state witnesses claimed.

“Isaac showed clear and utter remorse after being told that Dakari was dead.” said Parker.

Parker also said Bachman sent many of the text and Snapchat messages Taylor referenced in evidence, but acknowledged that the messages he sent from prison were insensitive.

“The jury’s instructions do not include saying something nice afterwards.” said Parker. “The state’s cause is not beautiful words, but the words used by young people.”

Parker told jurors that the state failed to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt and asked the jury to find Bachman not guilty.

But Taylor reminded the jury that Bachman invited James to his home and said it was for a fistfight, while Bachman said he had a gun.

“This is not a stance against your baseline.” Taylor said. “This incident is inciting a person to come here and then killing him.”

Following the reading of the guilty verdict, Bachman was immediately taken into custody by the Webster County Sheriff’s Department, where he is being held without bail. The penalty for first-degree murder in Iowa is life in prison without the possibility of parole. Bachman will be sentenced on December 6.