Two young men may spend the rest of their lives in prison after a jury convicted them Friday of first-degree premeditated murder for orchestrating what prosecutors called a “gang retaliation killing.”

Timothy “Timbo” Evans, 19, turned to his supporters and shouted “love you all” before being escorted out of the courtroom. The day before he had confessed on the witness stand to pulling the trigger in the 2006 shooting death of 26-year-old Adrian Patton at the Emma Wheeler Homes development in South Chattanooga.




But Mr. Evans always maintained that his co-defendant and leader of the local “Skyline Bloods” gang, Michael “Mike Mike” Daniels, made him do it. Mr. Evans, who was 17 years old at the time, said he was scared and didn’t even know how to use a 9 mm semiautomatic weapon when he “emptied” the clip into the driver’s side door of Mr. Patton’s truck.

“I wish every prospective gang member could have been here to see the result of involving oneself in gang activity,” Hamilton County District Attorney Bill Cox said outside the courtroom. “The only logical consequence is either death or imprisonment.”

“I’m just glad it’s over,” said Donna Sails, mother of the victim. “Now our family can get itself together.”

The premeditated murder conviction carries an automatic sentence of life in prison.

The jury also convicted Mr. Evans and Mr. Daniels of conspiracy to commit premeditated first-degree murder, a crime that carries 15-25 years in prison. Judge Rebecca Stern will sentence them on July 28 with regard to that charge. The jury found Mr. Evans guilty of misdemeanor unlawful possession of a firearm, as well.

Mr. Daniels, 22, simply turned around and smiled at his two sisters after the jury foreman read the verdict. It marked the end of a four-day trial with heavy security, a sequestered jury, and explicit descriptions of gang culture.

ABOUT TIMOTHY EVANS

Timothy Evans testified he was only 17 that summer day in 2006 when he interviewed for a job at McDonald’s and then shot a man a couple of hours later “for no reason.” At the time he had a 1-year-old daughter who is now three and attended high school as a junior where he made B’s and C’s. Now he and his co-conspirator, 22-year-old Michael Daniels, will serve life prison sentences for first-degree premeditated murder. They must serve at least 55 years before being eligible for parole.
Assistant District Attorney Neal Pinkston said that Mr. Patton’s death was followed just three days later by another suspected gang retaliation killing in the East Lake Courts housing development in East Chattanooga. That homicide still is being investigated by police despite a man recently pleading guilty to playing a role in it.

“I think law enforcement would describe it as a “long hot summer” in 2006,” Mr. Pinkston speculated.

Mr. Pinkston said this week’s trial stands alone in recent memory as far as the inner workings of gangs playing such a central role in the prosecution.

“There have been other gang members tried, I’m sure,” he said. “But this is the first trial that comes to mind that solely focused upon gang life.”

The first round of testimony came from two local experts on gangs who described the history of the Skyline Bloods and told jurors that gang life in Chattanooga is very much an organized venture with clear-cut rules and objectives.

A showing of disrespect from someone outside the gang, however small it may be, can bring severe punishment, said gang investigator Christina Young.

“Things you and I brush off could equal death to gang members,” said Ms. Young, who works at Silverdale Detention Center.

There also is usually a set of rules, for which a gang member can be “violated” if broken. A “violation” usually means an assault for a set period of time, Ms. Young said, or even death.

TRIAL CONCERNS

Defense attorney Jesse Dalton, who represents Michael Daniels, said he asked “numerous times” for the co-defendants to be tried separately since animosity exists between the two and they had different stories of what happened the day Adrian Patton died. “We will have lots of reasons for an appeal,” Mr. Dalton said, citing security measures he said might have “scared” the jury and what he called an overemphasis on “gang talk.”
Mr. Evans tried to claim “duress” as a defense throughout the trial based on those intricate rules of the Skyline Bloods and his rank within the gang.

Because he was considered a “baby gangster” and Mr. Daniels was the leader, Mr. Evans said, he had no choice but to follow his co-defendant’s command that summer day on East 48th Street. It was payback, the prosecution said, for Mr. Daniels’ belief that the victim had fired shots — or at least knew who did — at his sister’s house earlier that day.

If he hadn’t faced the possibility of severe punishment himself for not following the command, Mr. Evans told the jurors, “Mr. Patton would be alive today.”

Defense attorney John McDougal said it was “disappointing” that jurors hadn’t considered the type of pressure Mr. Evans received from his co-defendant.

“The problem is,” Mr. McDougal conceded, “that (Mr. Evans) shot someone 10 times.”

Mr. McDougal and Jesse Dalton, who represented Mr. Daniels, said appeals will be filed in both cases.

“Mr. Evans taking the stand hurt us greatly,” Mr. Dalton said, adding that Mr. Daniels still maintains he never told anyone to kill the victim.


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