The shooter is a wealthy plaintiff's attorney (John Edwards type) with a long litigious streak.
He buys this huge property out in rural VA next to the dead guy about 10 or 12 years back.
None of the land around there is fenced off and people's livestock tends to wander around freely.
The shooter discovers an obscure state law which says that anyone who wants to build a fence on their property has the right to make their neighbors shoulder half the cost of the fencing.
So the guy buys expensive, aesthetically pleasing, yet non-cattle-resistant fencing and serves his neighbor with a bill for half the fence afterwards.
They refuse. He sues all of them and the dead guy refused to pay up after the court case went against him. So the shooter has a judgment enforced against the dead guy.
Apparently they had words and the shooter got a restraining order. Then, of course, some time later the dead guy's bull walks through the flimsy fence and the dead guy has to retrieve it and there are further lawsuits and restraining orders.
And now, the resentful neighbor turns up dead, in a "self-defense" shooting that conveniently has no witnesses.
Fishy.
That's all you needed to say. Lock him up and throw away the key.
This law isn't 'obscure' where we live. It's common knowledge of all farm owners that they are responsible for the right half(when facing from your land) of a fenceline, and its upkeep. Even if you don't need it or want it. It's one of those outdated laws that was useful when folks made a living off of 80-160 acres. Most farms , when I was young, were partitioned in 10-20 acre fields.
Always smart to get a restraining order and make numerous
calls to the police claiming it was violated...
Sets one up with an alibi down the line...
Scumbag lawyer
I wonder what the bill was for a fence this long? It had to be substantial. There are a lot of people who can't afford to pay for fencing. They are barely getting by. If the big city lawyer wanted a fence so bad then he should have paid for it himself>