OAKLAND — A Bay Area realtor has been charged with murder for allegedly killing a man at the home of a woman who authorities say was “casually dating” the suspect and the victim at once, court records show.
But the defendant, 26-year-old Terryan McDowell, has already been released on bail after his lawyer argued that the shooting was in self-defense. McDowell was charged with killing 42-year-old Darnell Parker at an apartment on the 9400 block of International Boulevard in East Oakland, court records show.
Authorities said at the time that McDowell was at the woman’s home when Parker showed up and refused to leave. McDowell joined the confrontation and allegedly shot Parker during a heated argument, later claiming in a police interview that Parker threatened to “pop” him, police said in court records.
Two children were sleeping in the home at the time of the shooting, authorities said.
McDowell left the area with his gun, but later called 911 and reported the shooting. He left the area because he was afraid the woman was part of a setup against him, his attorney argued in a bail motion.
An online fundraiser for Parker, which has since been deleted, describes him as a “beloved” family man whose loved ones were left devastated by a “senseless act of violence.”
McDowell was charged on Feb. 4, but was released from jail on Feb. 26, after his lawyer successfully argued for bail to be set at $150,000. As part of the conditions of release, McDowell is subject to electronic monitoring, court records show.
The bail motion describes McDowell as a responsible business owner who “dedicates a lot of his free time to volunteer-work at a local church in Richmond,” and whose release is supported by colleagues, family and a local bishop. His lawyer, Ernie Castillo, argued that McDowell killed Parker with a “registered firearm” to “defend his own life.”