A late-summer argument over money in Lewisburg, Kentucky, ended in a fatal shooting on August 4, 2022. Thirty-seven-year-old Richard Evans and his father, 61-year-old Darrell Evans, argued outside the elder man’s home about money Richard allegedly owed. The dispute continued inside, where Richard warned his father not to reach for a pistol on a loveseat. According to Darrell’s statements to law enforcement, he grabbed the firearm and shot Richard once in the head or face area. Deputies found Richard inside the home with a single gunshot wound; Darrell was arrested and later indicted for first-degree murder by a Logan County grand jury.

An autopsy found drugs in Richard Evans’s system, and police recovered six small bags of methamphetamine from him. The indictment was dismissed in December 2023 when a Logan Circuit Court judge ruled that Darrell had acted justifiably under Kentucky’s stand your ground law, finding Richard’s aggressive entry and threats and the age and health disparity relevant. Darrell was released after the dismissal.

What details about the confrontation or evidence would help clarify whether the shooting was defensive or criminal?