Lacombe man convicted of murder in death of neighbor's son; he had said shooting was self-defense

[onehandle]

Jared Graham, 20, is guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting of Travis Williams, 26, a St. Tammany Parish jury decided late Friday, rejecting Graham's claims that the killing was in self-defense.

Graham admitted on the stand Friday that he shot and killed Williams on Dec. 21, 2005, in Lacombe, but he and his private defense attorneys, James Burke and Marion Farmer, argued during the three-day trial that it was self-defense or, at the very worst, manslaughter, punishable by a maximum of 40 years behind bars.

The jury voted 11-1 for second-degree murder.

Assistant District Attorney Bruce Dearing urged the jury to convict Graham of second-degree murder, which carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Second-degree murder requires specific intent to kill or to inflict great bodily harm. Manslaughter is similar to second-degree murder, except "the offense is committed in sudden passion or heat of blood immediately caused by provocation sufficient to deprive an average person of his self-control and cool reflection," according to state law.

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2010/02/lacombe_man_convicted_of_murde.html

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

1. Juvenile criminal kills adult criminal after adult criminal had assaulted juvenile criminal.

[Taitertots]

2. Why wasn't the seven time felon well on his way to dying in jail?

Now an innocent person is getting locked away for nothing more than protecting themselves from the continued attacks from known criminals.

[Tejas]

3. 16yr old in possession of a .44 magnum?

Must be a tough part of town.

[Euromutt]

4. No, the defendant's 20

Which does still mean he couldn't have bought it, at least not legally.

Frankly, whatever apprehension the guy was under, he fucked up big time. If you're in fear of life or limb, you do not run inside to get a gun, come out again and open up on the perceived threat. No, you go inside, get the gun, stay inside, call 911, and if--and only if--the guy tries to force his way into the house do you get to shoot.

And if the guy's already down, as he must have been if a pair of the .44 Mags were fatal, you sure as hell don't run back inside, get a shotgun, come back out again and shoot at the guy when he's no longer a threat.

[Tejas]

5. Shooting occured in '05

15 or 16?