A man who shot his neighbor dead because he suspected the neighbor's dog had urinated on his newspaper was found guilty of second-degree murder Monday, officials said.
The jury in Santa Clara County Superior Court in San Jose, Calif., reached the verdict against Michael DeBaets after a two-week trial.DeBaets, 49, and Martin Myslinski, 33, were next-door neighbors who had a long-running feud over pets, parking and noise.
The last straw for DeBaets came last July 19 when DeBaets found his Sunday newspaper soaked with urine and jumped to the conclusion that Myslinski's Shih Tzu dog, Toby, was the culprit.
DeBaets seized a .38-caliber gun that he kept in his living room, confronted his neighbor and shot him once in the heart, killing him.
The defense included a "battered neighbor syndrome" theory. "We were really taken by the tragedy. They seemed like two fairly normal people," jury foreman Charles Hunter said.
DeBaets will be sentenced March 11.