Murder retrial: Dayton man found guilty for 2nd time in ‘cold-blooded’ shooting

Montgomery County Common Pleas Courtroom. JIM NOELKER/STAFF FILE

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Montgomery County Common Pleas Courtroom. JIM NOELKER/STAFF FILE

A Dayton man was convicted Friday by a second jury in a May 2019 shooting that prosecutors called “cold-blooded” and an ambush.

Carson D. Barker was found guilty of two counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault and one count of discharge of a firearm on or near prohibited premises. In his first trial he was acquitted of two tampering with evidence charges. He is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 21 by Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Gerald Parker.

Barker shot 42-year-old Christopher Lee Campbell on May 26, 2019, near West Second and North Antioch streets in Dayton. Campbell drove away before crashing his Chevrolet Tahoe into the playground behind Dayton Boys Prep Academy.

Carson Barker

Credit: Montgomery County Jail

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Credit: Montgomery County Jail

Dayton officers found him inside the vehicle. He was taken to Miami Valley Hospital, but succumbed to his injuries the following day, police said.

Witnesses and evidence helped investigators determine the shooting took place near West Second and North Antioch streets, a short distance from the crash, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office.

Barker took the stand during his first trial, saying Campbell and other vehicles associated with him would follow him. He said he approached him about it but that Campbell denied it. He said the stalking escalated until he saw Campbell inside a vehicle outside his mother’s home on May 26, 2019.

Barker said he approached Campbell to talk to him when “he looks over at me and he pulls his gun out,” he said. “I pulled my gun and shot and it happened so fast and I thought I missed.”

Barker testified Campbell shot back and a shootout occurred. Barker said he shot all the bullets in his gun and he began running away. He said Campbell “traced” him and continued shooting at him.

“I was out of bullets, I was able to reload and turned around on Antioch and fired one time as he was still shooting,” Barker said.

Prosecutors during closing argument called Barker’s story “unbelievable.” They said Barker “ambushed” Campbell.

“He did not have reasonable grounds to believe or an honest belief that he was in danger,” said prosecutors, who added that if Barker were afraid of Campbell he would not have approached him.

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