The man accused of throwing the punch that led to the death of University student Phillip Gillins last summer was convicted on all three charges related to the incident Thursday and faces at least 12 years in prison under mandatory sentencing laws.
Darrell Sky Walker, 23, faces time under Measure 11 mandatory minimum sentences for Manslaughter II and Assault II. Walker was also convicted of Assault III.
During the Lane County Circuit Court trial, Walker’s lawyer argued that Walker hadn’t thrown the punch, but that his friend, J.D. Beall, threw the punch from over Walker’s shoulder.
The incident occurred in an alley between Hodgepodge and West Moon Trading Company during the early morning hours of June 10 after Gillins and two friends left a campus-area bar.
While Gillins and his friends were walking west on East 13th Avenue, a man pushed through them and continued walking. Gillins, who is white, allegedly made a racial remark to the white man, which Walker and his two friends overheard. During testimony, Walker said he anticipated a fight and took off his shirt before entering the alley, according to a Thursday article in The Register-Guard.
Walker said Gillins admitted making the comment, but Walker said it was Beall who punched Gillins from behind him, not himself, according to the article.
Gillins’s friend, Jeremiah Crider, said Walker punched Gillins after shoving Crider over a curb, according to the article.
“As I’m getting up from the curb, I see the black male follow through with a punch,” Crider said Tuesday in court. “It was really strange how it struck him. He came straight up and fell straight down on his head.”
Walker admitted to fighting Crider, according to the article, but said Wednesday “I did not touch Mr. Gillins the entire night. I did not punch him.”
Walker’s defense was based on testimony of people who said they heard Beall take credit for punching Gillins.
A woman who had been drinking with Walker and his friends saw the fight. She testified that Beall boasted to her that he “knocked out” Gillins.
Walker’s lawyer said Walker’s roommate overheard Beall bragging about knocking out Gillins as well.
Walker fled to California after the incident occurred and admitted to not following through on his first offer to turn himself in after a warrant for his arrest was issued July 19.
The trial lasted approximately one week, and the jury deliberated for a little more than one day.
Gillins was an advertising major from Portland who was supposed to walk at graduation the day after the incident occurred.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
