Daniels Sentencing Pushed to February

Latoshia Daniels (Shelby County Sheriff's Office)

Latoshia Daniels was supposed to be sentenced today. Instead, she'll wait until February 11, 2026.

The Shelby County Criminal Court reset the date at this morning's hearing. No explanation given publicly for the delay. Just another two months added to a case that's already been working through the system for over six years.

Quick refresher on where we are: Daniels was found guilty of second-degree murder last month for shooting Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church Executive Pastor Brodes Perry at his Collierville apartment on April 4, 2019. She was also convicted of reckless endangerment for shooting his wife, Tabatha. The jury acquitted her on the firearm charge.

That quote from McAlpine tells you everything about how the prosecution views this outcome. They asked for first-degree murder. They got second-degree. Not what they wanted, but they're not complaining. "We can disagree with it and respect it at the same time," he said. "It's not exactly what we asked for, but it's not a bad verdict."

The defense pushed for voluntary manslaughter, arguing Daniels killed Perry in the heat of passion after years of what they called a manipulative, controlling affair. She testified she doesn't remember firing the gun. She said she wasn't in her right mind that day. She drove hours from Little Rock to Memphis after buying a Ruger 9mm, claiming she wanted closure, not confrontation.

The jury didn't buy manslaughter. But they didn't buy premeditation either.

So now we wait. February 11th. The sentencing range for second-degree murder in Tennessee is 15 to 60 years. Where Daniels lands in that range depends on what Judge Lee Coffee hears from both sides, from the victim's family, and from Daniels herself.

Daniels spent four years in custody from 2019 to 2023 while bail was decided. In February 2023, she was granted $250,000 bond, which she posted the following month. She was on pretrial release until the verdict, when her bond was revoked. She wrote two books while incarcerated, one for incarcerated mothers, another for children whose mothers are in jail. She was a certified anger management specialist and licensed social worker before this. None of that changes what happened in that apartment. But it'll all be part of the sentencing conversation.

February 11th. Mark it.