Defendant Isaac Bachman took the stand Monday in Webster County District Court for day four of his first-degree murder trial.

Bachman, of Fort Dodge, is charged with shooting 14-year-old Dakari James on June 17, 2023, in the 1200 block of First Avenue North.

Throughout the trial, including in body camera footage and Bachman’s questioning by investigator Larry Hedlund, Bachman has stated that on June 17, he went to the six-foot privacy fence surrounding his home to meet James for a fist fight. The two had been arguing the night before via text when Bachman’s girlfriend, Kiera Summers, called James a racist slur and James called her an expletive. In the video footage from the interrogation with Hedlund, Bachman stated that while at the fence, he had opened the gate when James continued to close it.

However, while on the stand on Monday, Bachman said he walked up to the gate not knowing who was on the opposite side of the gate and instead that he went to lock the gate.

“I didn’t know it was him until I shot him,” Bachman told jurors on Monday.

“You told officers and investigator Hedlund that you were the one that opened the gate and that it was Dakari on the other side,” said Assistant County Attorney Bailey Taylor on Monday. “Yet you come here today and tell us no, you didn’t open the gate and you had no idea who was there. Don’t you think it’s fair to say that’s a change in your story?”

When asked to “boil his story down,” Bachman told defense attorney Judd Parker that “he was outside my gate screaming and hollering. I didn’t know who it was. I went to go rush and close the gate. It got stuck between both of us and he was still screaming at me and I shot him.”

Taylor also questioned Bachman about claims by two witnesses to the crime, Elijah Hunt and Destiny Holloway, who said they were told to tell investigators that the shooting was self-defense.

“No,” said Bachman. “They are liars.”

On Monday, the state also referenced text messages sent by Bachman from jail.

“Decided to run up and get gunned up,” said Bachman to an individual via text. The receiver of the text was redacted.

“I didn’t hesitate one (expletive) bit (racial slur) thought I was playing,” said Bachman to another individual by text.

Bachman acknowledged in court that the messages were insensitive, but stated that he had sent them.

The defense also called Summers to the stand near the close of the day.

At the time of the crime, Summers and Bachman had been dating for approximately six months. Summers told jurors she and Bachman are now living together and have been dating for more than two years.

Summers said she remembers the gate swinging open and that James slammed it shut into Bachman’s fingers. She said it happened again, and “then Isaac shot him.”

Summers told jurors that she was “terrified for our lives,” but that after Bachman had shot James, she walked up to him and kissed him. She said the response was one of her anxiety, saying that when she is nervous she needs “hugs and kisses to calm down.”

When asked by Taylor if she was upset about Bachman shooting James, Summers said, “Well, I wasn’t happy about it.”

She said she was aware that Bachman had come outside the home with his rifle, but said she “didn’t question it.”

Summers told jurors that she was unaware of the stream of more than 50 messages that were exchanged that morning between James, Bachman and Hunt.

“I kinda thought something was going on,” said Summers.

Summers went on to say that when the gate was opened, it was then that Bachman realized it was James and he went to lock the gate. However, when Taylor asked Summers about where this belief came from, Summers was unable to provide an answer as it differed from what she had previously told investigators. Taylor asked if Summers had been with Bachman Monday morning when she said that his story had changed to locking the gate, and Summers said that she had been with him.