Former UFC veteran Bubba McDaniel testified in court against his son's alleged killer
On Tuesday, Bubba McDaniel testified at a change-of-venue hearing for James Irvin Staley III, who is accused of killing his two-year-old son Jason Wilder McDaniel on October 11, 2018.
Below is a tweet from Bubba McDaniel on Oct. 22, 2018:
that my son was MURDERED. Now the world should know... #ChildMurderer I know my 2 yr old made you feel threatened by the man he would be in life and that makes me smile because he would have ruled the world... As for you James, once a bitch ass rich boy coward. Always a bitch https://t.co/rXlvE2cMjU
Staley's defense attorney was meant to present to the court that the jury pool in Wichita county was biased due to the news media, the 'Justice for Wilder' campaign, social media, and vigilante threats. His client, Staley, did not take the stand as McDaniel was put in the spotlight.
McDaniel unapolegtically confirmed his comments on Facebook that could potentially influence members of the jury. Terri Moore, a former state and federal prosecutor, asked about a post that mentioned "an eye for an eye."
In his calm reply, provided by Times Record News, McDaniel said the post meant:
"You killed my son. You need to die."
The former MMA fighter, who is now a fitness coach, also offered a $10,000 reward for Staley's whereabouts on Facebook live on October 27 in 2018. McDaniel was arrested for that recording on a misdemeanor terroristic threat charge, which was later dropped by the DA's office.
He admitted to making references to vigilante justice and that certain comments were directed towards lawyers as well. Additionally, he confirmed his arrest on August 15, 2020, in which he pleaded guilty to felony assault with a deadly weapon charge. For that, he was sentenced to six years probation.
In his most emotional testimony, McDaniel admitted to being an angry person who now cries much more since his son's untimely death.
From 2005 to 2018, Bubba 'The Menace' McDaniel was a veteran of the UFC, Bellator, and many other fight promotions. He fought against some of the best in the game, including Uriah Hall and Sean Strickland.
During his MMA career, he was a submission artist, taking home 19 victories by sub. He also knocked out nine of his opponents and ended his career with 30 wins and 10 losses.
The murder of Bubba McDaniel's son Jason
Allegedly, the murder of two-year-old Jason Wilder McDaniel took place at Staley's home in the 2000 block of Irving place in Wichita Falls, Texas.
Authorities believe the boy was smothered to death at the home where he was staying with his mother, who was in a relationship with Staley. Staley has been charged with capital murder of a person younger than ten and with felony first-degree murder, for which he has pleaded not guilty.
Wilder's mother, Amber Odom McDaniel, is also accused of her son's murder. According to court records, she was charged with endangering a child in connection with Wilder and tampering with cellphone evidence.
Below is a video of Bubba McDaniel's reaction to Amber being arrested for Wilder's death:
The 'Justice For Wilder' campaign has kept Bubba McDaniel in good spirits and brought him some clarity. He urged that all of the protests associated with the campaign have been peaceful and that the only mission is to help bring his son's killer to justice.