Bachman, 19, of Fort Dodge, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder after shooting 14-year-old James four times on June 17, 2023, in the 1200 block of First Avenue North.

The jury’s decision was unanimous, though defense attorney Judd Parker asked that jurors be polled before court was adjourned.

As the verdict was read by District Court Judge Christopher Polking, Bachman’s girlfriend and witness to the crime, Kiera Summers, openly sobbed. His grandmother held her hands to her face and cried. Bachman remained stoic.

Bachman’s first-degree murder trial began last Tuesday in Webster County District Court. Prosecutors rested their case on Monday. Defense attorneys concluded their case Tuesday.

Closing arguments began Wednesday morning. Webster County Assistant County Attorney Bailey Taylor argued that Bachman’s words and actions proved that he “willfully, deliberately, and premeditatedly killed Dakari James.”

Taylor referenced the more than 50 text and Snapchat messages that were exchanged between Bachman, James, and witness Elijah Hunt the day of the shooting.

“Isaac Bachman told you on the stand that he was scared, but yet he actively engaged with Dakari James, even telling him ‘if you want to disrespect my girl, I’ll kill you,'” Taylor said.

Taylor said that Bachman deliberately waited for James to come to his home, even sitting in a lawn chair with his gun, and when James arrived “looks in his eyes and shoots him.”

“He brought a gun to a fist fight,” said Taylor.

Parker, however, told jurors in closing arguments that Bachman was scared for his and Summers’ safety and when James stepped over the threshold of the gate, shot to protect himself and his girlfriend.

“He was at his home on his own property while Dakari James is the one who brought the fight,” said Parker, who was focusing on a stand your ground law defense.

Parker showed the jury the multiple body camera and Ring camera videos that were entered into evidence throughout his closing arguments. When the video with audio of the shots being fired was played to jurors, Bachman’s grandmother audibly gasped while covering her face.

“He tried breaking into my gate,” said Bachman in body camera footage shown to jurors. “I’m not worried. I don’t feel good about it.”

Parker said that his client’s calm demeanor and willing admission to officers showed that his client wasn’t erratic as witnesses for the state had claimed.

“Isaac had clear and definite remorse after being told that Dakari had passed,” said Parker.

Parker also said that Bachman admitted to sending the many text and Snapchat messages that Taylor had referenced in the evidence, though he admitted that texts he sent from jail were insensitive.

“It’s not in the jury instructions to say something nice afterwards,” said Parker. “The state’s case is words, not nice words, but words that teenagers use.”

Parker told jurors that the state had not proven their case beyond a reasonable doubt and asked the jury to find Bachman not guilty.

However, Taylor followed by reminding the jury that Bachman invited James to his house and said that it was for a fist fight, meanwhile Bachman had a gun.

“This is not a stand your ground case,” said Taylor. “What this case is, is provoking a person to come over and then killing them.”

Following the reading of the guilty verdict, Bachman was immediately taken into custody by the Webster County Sheriff’s Department, where he is being held without bond. In Iowa, the punishment for first-degree murder is life in prison without the possibility of parole. Bachman will be sentenced on Dec. 6.