Tennessee man Sean Foley, 25, stands trial in Blount County in the shooting death of Jimmy L. Shelton, 44.
According to the local sheriff’s office, the defendant shot the victim multiple times on August 28, 2018. The defendant allegedly told the responding deputies that Shelton was on the back porch, where investigators pronounced the victim dead. A 25-year-old woman was at the scene. From the Facebook news release:
Deputies located Mr. Shelton, unarmed, on the back porch and checked for signs of life. Once AMR checked Mr. Shelton for vital signs it was determined that he was deceased.
Authorities at the time charged Foley with criminal homicide, and described it as a domestic matter, but a grand jury indicted him for first-murder degree back in January. He faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. Authorities say this was a premeditated killing. Blount County District Attorney General Ryan Desmond told jurors that Shelton could’ve been having a consensual relationship with the woman, according to The Daily Times. According to evidence reportedly shown at a preliminary hearing, Foley claimed the victim was molesting his girlfriend. Prosecutors said that he waited 20 minutes before confronting Shelton.
Prosecutors said Foley recorded the incident on his cell phone, according The Daily Times. In the footage, he allegedly said, “You fuck with her again, and I will fucking drop you.”
The defense tried and failed to get the charge dropped down to voluntary manslaughter.
Opening statements on Tuesday detailed a very fraught set of personal relationships. Shelton had been engaged to the mother of Foley’s girlfriend, the prosecution said. Nonetheless, that girlfriend, who has worked as an exotic dancer, planned on using her body to get a car from the victim, the state claimed.
Foley, however, allegedly wanted to put a stop to this. He went to a window near the porch, and recorded the conversation between Shelton and the girlfriend, narrating what he heard, according to the state. He ended up confronting the victim with a gun, said the prosecution.
Foley’s defense said at opening statements that this was self-defense. Shelton was a much bigger man than the defendant.
Jurors heard 911 audio on Tuesday, showing Foley telling the girlfriend that Shelton was going to rape her.
“Just like he did your entire fucking childhood,” he said. “Come here now! He was trying to grab my fucking weapon!”
Note: Updated to reflect opening statements, and the beginning of testimony.
[Mugshot via Blount County Sheriff’s Office]