‘Nobody Was Supposed To Shoot Nobody,’ Man Testifies During Homicide Preliminary Hearing

One of the men charged in the 2016 homicide of a 20-year-old Bristol Borough man testified against two co-defendants at a preliminary hearing.

Rodney “Bay-Bay” Beaty, 27, took the stand Wednesday morning before District Judge Frank Peranteau and testified in the case against Dwayne J. Lynch, 29, and Jaquan Nyzier “Dill” Wilkerson, 19, who prosecutors allege were involved in the February 2016 shooting death of Robert “Bink” Colter III on Bath Street.

All three men were charged in July with two counts of criminal homicide and three counts of reckless endangerment after an investigation that lasted more than two years. Lynch and Wilkerson also face additional charges of possession of an instrument of crime and possession of an instrument of crime by a minor.

After the preliminary hearing, Lynch and Wilkerson had all their charges forwarded to Doylestown for trial and Beaty waived forward his case.

The preliminary hearing that included mentions of the Third Lane Crew and BDN crew was under heavy security. A number of borough police officers surrounded the courthouse at the corner of Bath and Otter streets, not too far from the scene of the shooting. Beaty was taken in and out of the courthouse by Bucks County Detectives and borough officers escorted constable vehicles transporting the other two defendants out of Bristol.

According to authorities, Lynch and Wilkerson opened fire on toward Colter with two handguns and then fled to Swain Street where Beaty was waiting to drive away. Colter, a father ,was struck by bullets and died.

Bristol Officer Lawrence Hardy testified that he was in a marked Ford Crown Victoria patrol car near Buckley and Clymer streets when he heard gunfire, at least five to six shots. He responded to the shooting scene outside Colter’s home on nearby Bath Street. He saw several people crowding around a badly wounded Colter and called for additional medics and officers.

Colter was bleeding from his wounds and emergency responders began efforts to save his life, Hardy said.

After the patrolman testified, Beaty was led in to the courtroom and took the stand.

He explained how his Lynch, who is his cousin, is someone he regularly spent time with as the two would often “chill.”

“It’s what we do,” he said. “He get high; we drive.”

Beaty said that before the shooting the two drove in Lynch’s red car around the Bristol area selling crack and heroin to several customers.

Eventually, they picked up Wilkerson in Croydon and drove past the scene where the shooting would take place, Beaty testified.

The original plan, according to Beaty, was to rob another man known for carrying large amounts of cash and peddling drugs.

Beaty said he did not want to take part in the robbery and jumped in the driver’s seat while parked on Swain Street as Lynch and Wilkerson went around the corner.

Then, Beaty testified, that he heard two shots and then five more shots that were “kinda quick.”

“Nobody was supposed to shoot nobody,” he said. “It was supposed to be a robbery.”

It was not immediately clear based on court statements why Colter was shot.

The two alleged shooters got into the car and Beaty drove off toward Route 13 and I-95.

“I think we dropped one,” Wilkerson allegedly said.

The three men ended up trading drugs for another car and headed back toward the shooting scene to attempt to receive the clip from a 9mm handgun that had fallen behind at the scene.

Lynch, according to Beaty, walked to the scene that was packed with police and returned to the car unable to retrieve the clip.

While driving toward Philadelphia, the car pulled over and the .40 caliber pistol out was thrown in the area near Woodhaven Road in Bensalem, Beaty testified.

The defendant testified that the group then drove to the Northeast Philadelphia and Center City to areas where they knew friends would see them.

At some point, Beaty said his fiance called him via Facebook Messenger and said that “Bink got shot.” He did not tell her he was involved.

Using cell phone records, according to court papers, investigators determined Lynch’s cell phone was in use during the trip following the shooting.

Detective David Hanks testified that five 9 mm shell casings were found at the shooting scene and two .40 caliber casings were recovered. The magazine from the one handgun was also discovered at the scene.

All three defendants are jailed.