Carrick man acquitted in Club Erotica homicide

A jury deliberated for four days before finding a Carrick man not guilty of all counts on Tuesday in the 2021 shooting death of another at Club Erotica in McKees Rocks.

Khalil Walls, 27, left the Allegheny County Courthouse a free man.

“I truly believe it is the proper verdict,” said defense attorney Kenneth Haber. “This was a situation my client found himself in.

“He did not seek this out.”

Walls was charged in connection with the killing Christopher Butler, 22, of West Mifflin at the club on Jan. 29, 2021.

Two men were shot to death that night in the Club Erotica parking lot. Charles Becher, 25, of Carnegie, was charged in the shooting death of Seth McDermit, 31, of Monongahela.

A jury found Becher guilty of third-degree murder last year, but Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Anthony M. Mariani threw out the conviction. The case is being appealed by the prosecution at the state Superior Court.

Walls and Becher are friends and were together that night at Club Erotica when Becher’s two female cousins got into a fight with members of what the defense attorneys called a biker gang, including Butler and McDermit.

According to testimony at trial, Butler punched one of the women, and then they went inside to get Becher and told him what happened.

Becher, who was licensed to carry a gun, went outside, pulled his weapon and struck Butler with it, but the gun was knocked from Becher’s hand.

Butler, McDermit and two of their friends attacked Becher, putting him into the ground, where they punched, kicked, stomped and choked him, the defense said.

When Walls saw Becher under attack, Haber said, he pulled out his own gun and fired warning shots into the ground.

Although the attack on Becher stopped momentarily, Butler circled around and charged at Walls, Haber said. Walls fired again, killing Butler.

At trial, Haber said his client was justified for his actions.

The jury of seven men and five women found Walls not guilty of first-degree murder; third-degree murder; voluntary manslaughter; involuntary manslaughter; attempted homicide; and aggravated assault.

After the verdict, Haber said the jurors worked hard. They began deliberating on Thursday.

“We were hopeful,” he said. “I had faith in this jury.”

The night of the shooting, Haber said, Walls found himself in an impossible situation — help save his friend from possible death or do nothing.

“Myself and my client feel for the families of the victims and feel deeply,” Haber said. “No one wants to go through a tragedy like this — and that’s what this is, a tragedy.”

Haber said the shooting has taken an emotional toll on Walls, who spent six months in Allegheny County Jail and 14 months on house arrest pending trial.

“He’s going to have to live with this image, this memory for the rest of his life.”