Jury selection begins for murder trial of woman in fish arcade shooting

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, September 14, 2021

SALISBURY — Jury selection began on Monday in the trial of a Salisbury woman charged with second-degree murder after a deadly fish arcade shooting.

Dedric Michelle Mason, 45, was originally charged in April 2018 following an incident at the Fishzilla Arcade located at 1812 E. Innes St. Salisbury Police found James Christopher Davis, 45, of Albemarle with a gunshot wound. Davis was transported to Novant Health Rowan Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead around 3:20 a.m.

Following the shooting, Mason was taken into custody at her residence in Salisbury without incident. The Salisbury Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Unit questioned Mason and other witnesses. After consulting with the Rowan County District Attorney’s Office, charges for second-degree murder were filed against Mason. A less serious charge than first-degree murder, second-degree murder typically means the killing was not premeditated, but still intentional.

Mason is being represented in the trial by attorneys Todd Paris and Ryan Stowe in Rowan County Superior Court. The prosecution is being led by Rowan County Assistant District Attorneys Barrett Poppler and Jennifer Greene.

On Monday, jury selection process began with the preliminary examination of witnesses by the prosecution and defense with the goal of forming a 12-person jury that is a representative of the community. The jury was selected Monday, but four alternatives still need to be picked.

Once the jury is selected, the trial will commence with opening arguments. During the questioning process on Monday morning, Poppler told jurors he expects the trial to last approximately a week to a week and a half. Poppler also mentioned a lengthy list of potential witnesses that could be called to testify.

About Ben Stansell

Ben Stansell covers business, county government and more for the Salisbury Post. He joined the staff in August 2020 after graduating from the University of Alabama. Email him at ben.stansell@salisburypost.com.

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