Sobbing teenage mother who shot dead budding professional gamer is jailed

 Posted on October 1, 2024  |  4 minutes  |  831 words  |  Reinaldo Massengill

A teenage mother who shot dead a semi-professional gamer while trying to steal his PlayStation 4 as her 16-month-old baby lay a few feet away has been jailed for 40 years.

But the family of Daniel Zeitz, 28, say they have forgiven Kayla Dixon, who was only 16 when she pulled the trigger.

Mr Zeitz had advertised the PS4 for sale on Craigslist and agreed to meet Dixon and her boyfriend Nathaniel Vivian, 20, in the parking lot of his apartment complex in Sandy Springs, a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. 

Guilty: Teenage mother tearfully read out a statement before she was sentenced to 40 years for murdering Daniel Zeitz in an attempt to steal his Playstation 4

Guilty: Teenage mother tearfully read out a statement before she was sentenced to 40 years for murdering Daniel Zeitz in an attempt to steal his Playstation 4

Shortly before she was sentenced Dixon, who was sobbing, told the court: 'I would trade anything, almost anything, to bring Daniel back. But I know I can't. 

'I know he had plans. I wish I could tell him I'm so, so sorry that this happened, but I can't.'   

Dixon's attorney, Leah Abbasi, told Judge Wendy Shoob her client had suffered a horrible upbringing, having been sexually abused and exploited by criminals.

But she said: 'Nothing, in any way, excuses what happened, but this is, in some way, an explanation of how things led to being where they were.'

Mr Zeitz, (left, with a friend), was known by the name 'Phobos' in online gaming circles. One of his online gaming teammates set up a Go Fund Me page to raise money for funeral expenses Daniel Zeitz

Mr Zeitz, (left, with a friend), was known by the name 'Phobos' in online gaming circles. One of his online gaming teammates set up a Go Fund Me page to raise money for funeral expenses

His mother, Patty Zeitz, told WSB-TV her family had forgiven Dixon.

She said: 'At first I didn't want to accept her apology (but) I thought her apology today was very heartfelt and I feel like she is truly sorry for what happened.

'It's just a crime that young people can get caught in these situations because of the examples they'd had in their lives.'

 'It's just a crime that young people can get caught in these situations because of the examples they'd had in their lives Patty Zeitz 

Mr Zeitz, from Roswell, Georgia, was a budding gamer who was known online as Phobos and had fans around the world.

His life and death was the subject of a short documentary, Level Up.

Dixon accepted a plea bargain on the eve of her murder trial. 

Her former boyfriend, Nathaniel Vivian, will go on trial later this summer and her attorney told the judge she is willing to testify against him. 

Police said Vivian, who was in the driver's seat of the car, struggled with Mr Zeitz for the PlayStation while he was standing outside the vehicle.

Nathaniel Vivian, who faces trial later this year A PlayStation 4

Nathaniel Vivian (left) faces trial later this year for his part in the murder of Mr Zeitz, who was killed after advertising a PlayStation 4 (right) for sale on Craigslist

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During the struggle the girl fired a shot from a .25 caliber handgun. 

The bullet passed through Vivian's hand and struck Mr Zeitz in the side of his chest, wounding him fatally.

The couple were later arrested when they went to Northside Hospital for treatment of Vivian's gunshot wound to the hand. 

Dixon's 16-month-old baby was sitting in the back seat of their car during the robbery. 

One of the victim's online gaming teammates set up a Go Fund Me page to raise money for funeral expenses, which ended up raising $24,000.

Three people were interested (in the PlayStation) and emailed him and he just happened to choose that one.' Josh Saideman 

One person wrote on it: 'I am so sorry for your loss. I can't even begin to imagine what your family and friends are going through. Your sons [sic] life was worth a million times more than a PS4.'

Josh Saideman, co-director of the short documentary Level Up, told Mail Online: 'Danny started out playing Halo and then Call Of Duty and Destiny. He was on a team with one of our producers.'

'The film is about how the gaming community came together after his death but we are hoping to make a feature-length documentary about Craigslist crimes.'

Mr Saideman, who was in court yesterday, said: 'The way Craigslist works everything is anonymous so Danny was selling a PlayStation and he got this anonymous email. In fact three people were interested and emailed him and he just happened to choose that one.'

He said: 'We learned yesterday that Vivian and Dixon had had to sell a PlayStation to pay the bills and they were stealing Danny's to replace it.'

Mr Saideman said the Zeitz family had been 'very strong' and he said: 'They had a feeling there might be a plea bargain but they are satisfied. It would have been traumatizing to sit through the whole trial.'  

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