The defense team in a Danville murder trial claimed today (Tuesday) that 16-year-old Dustin Cooper was not armed, did not rob anybody, and did not kill 19-year-old Wyatt Bailey of Oakwood. The statement came during opening statements in Cooper’s trial in Vermilion County Circuit Court. Cooper is on trial on felony murder and armed robbery charges stemming from the shooting death of Bailey. And the young defendant is also charged with murder in the death of 15-year-old Clayvonte Sloan of Rantoul. The prosecution contends Sloan was with Cooper and three others when they drove to Bailey’s Oakwood home. The prosecution contends Cooper had made arrangements to purchase cannabis from Bailey but instead say Bailey was pistol-whipped and robbed of the cannabis.
An Assistant Illinois Attorney General claimed in opening statements that Bailey pulled a gun in self-defense after being shot in his legs. The prosecution contends that Bailey fell to the ground because of the leg wounds and that is when Dustin Cooper walked up and shot Bailey in the chest. ‘’You’re going to have a chance to hold this defendant responsible – hold him accountable,’’ said the Assistant Attorney General.
Jurors were told that when Vermilion County Sheriff’s Deputies stopped the suspects vehicle after it fled from Oakwood, they found Bailey’s bag of marijuana in the car and also recovered a gun. Another gun was recovered from a ravine after it was thrown from the car, according to the prosecution.
Cooper is the first of four defendants to go on trial in the case. Cooper is being tried as an adult even though he was 15 when the shootings occurred on January 17, 2021.
Once both sides concluded their opening statements testimony got underway. The trial is expected to last most of this week.
