Michael Shannon Hubbard, a 44-year-old Caucasian man, was shot and killed on May 25, 2016, in woods west of Susanville, Nevada, after a dispute over property. The confrontation began when the Whispering Pines property owner gathered a group of men to evict Hubbard and his uncle, who were alleged to be squatting on the land. During the struggle, Hubbard was shot.

The Lassen County Sheriff’s Office investigated and arrested 46-year-old Chance Lovin of Susanville the next morning as an accessory to murder. A warrant was issued for 43-year-old David Richard Bates on a murder charge; he was described as armed and dangerous and wanted for a parole violation. Bates was later apprehended and tried in September 2017. Prosecutors said Bates pointed a gun at the back of Hubbard’s head and fired; the defense said Bates acted in self-defense, asserting Hubbard had initially brandished a weapon and was under the influence of methamphetamine. Witness testimony conflicted.

A jury convicted David Richard Bates of voluntary manslaughter and he received an 18-year state prison sentence. Does anyone have information about the events on the Whispering Pines property that afternoon?