Jerry Nick Vulich, a 68-year-old Fresno farmer and maintenance electrician, was shot and killed on October 23, 2020. Deputies who responded to a reported shooting near W. Manning and S. West Avenues found his body behind a barn with gunshot wounds. Jerry’s brother, Norman Vulich, then 57, was located walking along the road, arrested and booked on a murder charge; bail was set at $1.5 million.

Investigators say the fatal dispute arose from a family disagreement over removing grapevines to plant almond trees. Norman was accused of shooting Jerry twice in the back with a shotgun and attempting to hide the body. Jerry is survived by his wife Sharon Vulich, daughters Crystal Vulich and Nicole Vulich, sister Darlene Wright, grandchildren and a great-grandchild; no public services were held at the time because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A wrongful death suit filed by the family resulted in a March 2024 jury award of $2.77 million to Sharon and the daughters, with the jury finding Norman acted with malice, oppression or fraud on the day of the incident. Does anyone have information about the land dispute or the events that morning?