It was Sunday, June 3, 2012. Dylan Wayne Milam, 13, and another youth who also attended Colbert County High School were visiting at the home of Dakota Holt, also 13. The argument started out innocently enough; Holt showed his companions a photo of a girl he liked. Dylan, someone either too young or too inexperienced to censor his thoughts, blurted out, "But she's fat."
Dakota Holt was not one given to self-control. He had previously beaten up his biological father, and many of his family and friends were already afraid of him. In a fit of rage, Holt slapped Dylan. Surprised by his companion's reaction, Dylan then slugged Holt. The fight ended...for a short while.
Later the youths began a round of target practice. After some time, the youths returned to Dakota Holt's home at 320 Hatton School Road to take a break. An adult supervising the youths, reportedly Dakota's mother Alicia Holt, left the boys alone. Here the story becomes more nebulous.
Holt originally told investigators that the group was leaving the home at around 9:00 p.m. to return to target practice when the gun he was holding accidentally discharged, hitting Dylan in the neck. An adult, either Holt's mother or her live-in boyfriend, a convicted drug dealer, corroborated the boy's story.
Colbert County investigators soon began to realize the testimony and facts in the case were not backing up Holt's version of events. While all the details may never be known, investigators believe they have pieced together the pertinent, and damning, facts in the case.
Dakota Holt pointed the gun at Dylan, asking him if he was scared and telling him to run for his life. Dylan made it to the front door before Holt fired the .22 rifle and shot him dead. Holt was not charged until the next Thursday, and neither his mother Alicia Holt nor her drug-dealer squeeze were ever charged with giving false testimony or impeding a police investigation.
After almost one year, the majority of it spent with his family in Leighton, Dakota Holt will tomorrow face a judge for the next to last time. Sources say the now 14 year-old will plead to aggravated manslaughter and be remanded into state custody until the age of 21. His sentence won't be official until a later date.
It may not be total justice, but no one can offer that. At least the Shoals area will be rid of the smirking, simpering sociopath that is Dakota Holt until 2020.
Shoalanda