'How much is a man’s life worth?': Man sentenced to life in prison for killing wife's boyfriend

Reginald McCoy Jr. would have turned 35 years old Wednesday, his mother, Blanche Haynes McCoy, told a Kern County Superior Court judge during the sentencing Wednesday of the man who shot her son to death.

Blanche McCoy kept repeating a phrase throughout her victim impact statement in front of Judge John Oglesby: “How much is a man’s life worth?”

Oglesby said that was a difficult question for him to answer when he considered not only Reginald McCoy Jr.'s life — which ended on Feb. 20, 2021 when he was shot to death — but also how much of the defendant’s life would be spent in prison.

Oglesby ultimately sentenced the defendant, Dashaun Donte Hunter, to 15 years to life in prison plus 10 years for second-degree murder with the personal use of a firearm causing death. He was found guilty of killing McCoy after Hunter found his wife and McCoy were having an affair, according to the Kern County District Attorney’s Office.

Blanche Haynes McCoy, who came to court Wednesday with her family, said the family was especially struggling Wednesday knowing it was Reginald’s birthday. Blanche McCoy said her son was a single father to a daughter and son.

Reginald McCoy Jr.'s cousin, Georgina Atkinson, also wrote a victim impact statement that was read to the court by a victim advocate from the DA’s Office. She recalled not knowing what to tell McCoy’s children after their father died.

Atkinson wrote that her cousin meant the world to many of his loved ones — some of whom cried during the sentencing.

“There are no winners in this situation,” Atkinson wrote.

According to the DA, McCoy and Hunter’s wife had been dating for four months when McCoy found out that Hunter’s wife was married the night of the shooting. Hunter’s wife dropped McCoy off at his mother’s house where McCoy’s children were staying and McCoy went back to his home in southwest Bakersfield. McCoy was shot later that night.

However, Hunter’s defense attorney, Tony Lidgett, said Hunter’s wife, Darrylesha, texted him that McCoy had kidnapped and beaten her. Lidgett said a man is taught to protect his loved ones and if Hunter shot McCoy, he did so to protect his wife and family.

Members of Hunter’s family also attended the sentencing.

McCoy’s family laughed in disbelief and whispered snide remarks under their breath while Lidgett explained that there are more gruesome ways to die besides a shooting, giving the example of decapitation. Lidgett said Hunter did not shoot McCoy execution-style or stand over his body after he died.

Lidgett noted that regardless of whether Oglesby chose the sentence of 15 years, 25 years or 40 years in prison, all of the sentencing options came with a tail of “to life in prison.” He then reminded the court that Hunter is a father and husband as well.

Lidgett addressed Blanche McCoy’s question about how much a man’s life is worth: “The use of a gun is worth more than a life and I have issue with that.”