Johnny Dockery, 47, of Hiddenite, North Carolina, died of a gunshot wound to the head on October 2, 2014. He was found in the yard of his neighbor, Donald Kuhns, and was taken to a local hospital where he later died.

Neighbors had known Dockery and Kuhns as friends before the night turned violent. Court documents say Kuhns, then 55, had been drinking and called the sheriff’s office to report Dockery’s threatening behavior. Officials say Dockery returned to Kuhns’ yard after being told to leave; Kuhns told investigators Dockery charged at him with a jar of liquor and he shot Dockery, claiming self-defense.

Kuhns was arrested and tried on first-degree murder charges; a jury convicted him of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced him to at least six years in prison. The North Carolina Court of Appeals later ordered a retrial, finding the jury had not been properly instructed about the defendant’s right to defend his home under the castle doctrine.