CLINTON — A jury at a coroner’s inquest Thursday found that a Knob Noster teacher committed a felony in shooting his neighbor to death.
John E. Hicks admitted that he shot his neighbor, Edwin D. Walrath, after a long feud over access to property.
kAmp D:I\>6>36C ;FCJ >6E 5FC:?8 2 4@C@?6C’D :?BF6DE E@ 564:56 H96E96C E96 D9@@E:?8[ H9:49 92AA6?65 |2J b[ H2D 2 76=@?J @C ;FDE:7:23=6 9@>:4:56]k^Am
kAmw6?CJ r@F?EJ r@C@?6C $4@EE {2C86?E AC6D:565 2E E96 :?BF6DE[ H96C6 23@FE `d_ A6@A=6 82E96C65 E@ H2E49]k^Am
kAmp7E6C {2C86?E 2??@F?465 E96 ;FCJ’D 564:D:@?[ w6?CJ r@F?EJ !C@D64FE:?8 pEE@C?6J #:492C5 $9:6=5D 2??@F?465 96 925 7:=65 492C86D @7 D64@?5568C66 >FC56C[ 2 4=2DD p 76=@?J[ %9FCD52J 27E6C?@@?]k^Am
kAmw2G:?8 E96 :?BF6DE “2==@HD E96 AF3=:4 E@ <?@H E96 724ED” E92E E96 AC@D64FE@C FD6D E@ 564:56 H96E96C E@ AC6DD 492C86D[ $9:6=5D D2:5] “%9:D H2J :E’D @FE E96C6 :? E96 AF3=:4[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 AC@D64FE@C 4@F=5 92G6 492C865 w:4<D C682C5=6DD @7 E96 ;FCJ’D 564:D:@?] %96 4=2DD p 76=@?J 42CC:6D 2 AF?:D9>6?E @7 `_ E@ b_ J62CD[ @C =:76 :? AC:D@? FA@? 4@?G:4E:@?]k^Am
kAmw6C6’D H92E 92AA6?65[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 E6DE:>@?J 2E E96 :?BF6DEik^Am
kAmw:4<D[ dd[ 2?5 (2=C2E9[ be[ =:G65 2=@?8 E96 D2>6 5C:G6H2J] w:4<D E6DE:7:65 E92E 96 H2D 4@?46C?65 23@FE A6@A=6 H9@ 925 ?@ 3FD:?6DD @? E96 5C:G6H2J 5C:G:?8 @? :E] w6 :?DE2==65 EH@ 82E6D[ @?6 2E E96 C@25[ 2?5 @?6 36J@?5 9:D 82C286[ 23@FE EH@ J62CD 28@]k^Am
kAm(2=C2E9 925 E@ @A6? 3@E9 82E6D E@ 86E E@ 9:D 9@>6[ H9:49 H2D A2DE w:4<D’ 9@>6]k^Am
kAm(2=C2E9’D =2?5=@C5 DF65[ 2?5 2 ;F586 564:565 E96 82E6D 4@F=5 C6>2:?[ 3FE 925 E@ 36 F?=@4<65]k^Am
kAmw:4<D[ 2 z?@3 }@DE6C w:89 $49@@= :?5FDEC:2= 2CED E62496C[ E6DE:7:65 (2=C2E9 H@F=5 5C:G6 E9C@F89 E96 82E6D 2?5 =62G6 E96> @A6?]k^Am
kAm(2=C2E9’D >@E96C[ s@??2 (2=C2E9[ E6DE:7:65 w:4<D H@F=5 4=@D6 E96 82E6D 27E6C D96 5C@G6 E9C@F89 E96>[ 27E6C @?=J >:?FE6D 2E t5H:? (2=C2E9’D 9@>6] $96 D2:5 t5H:? (2=C2E9 E@=5 96C w:4<D 4=@D65 E96 82E6D 369:?5 9:> 2== E96 E:>6[ 2?5 E92E H96? D96 G:D:E65[ w:4<D H@F=5 H2E49 96C @A6? E96 82E6D]k^Am
kAmw:4<D E6DE:7:65 (2=C2E9 H@F=5 C6G 9:D 6?8:?6 =2E6 2E ?:89E[ 2?5 @?46 (2=C2E9 925 32?865 @? E96 D:56 @7 E96 9@>6]k^Am
kAmvC246 w:4<D[ y@9? w:4<D’ H:76[ E6DE:7:65 D96 C646:G65 2 42==[ :? H9:49 2 >2? E92E D96 E9@F89E H2D (2=C2E9 E@=5 96C 96 H2D 8@:?8 E@ D9@@E y@9? w:4<D] %96 42== 42>6 E96 52J E96 ;F586 564:565 E96 82E6D 4@F=5 DE2J @? E96 5C:G6H2J[ vC246 w:4<D D2:5]k^Am
kAmy@9? w:4<D DE2CE65 42CCJ:?8 2 4@?462=65 92?58F?[ 2 ]cd\42=:36C A:DE@=]k^Am
kAm|2;] #@3 w:==D E6DE:7:65 E92E E96 w6?CJ r@F?EJ $96C:77’D s6A2CE>6?E 925 366? 42==65 E@ E96 AC@A6CEJ 6:89E E:>6D D:?46 a__c] w:4<D >256 >@DE @7 E9@D6 42==D[ |2;] w:==D D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 >2;@C:EJ @7 E96 42==D H6C6 7@C A6246 5:DEFC32?46 2?5 AC@A6CEJ 52>286[ |2;] w:==D D2:5]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 BF6DE:@?:?8 |2;] w:==D[ $9:6=5D D2:5 (2=C2E9 925 2 AC@A6CEJ 52>286 492C86 282:?DE 9:> 7@C 2==6865=J C2>>:?8 @?6 @7 w:4<D’ 82E6D]k^Am
kAmw:4<D E6DE:7:65 96 D2H (2=C2E9 =62G6 E96 9@FD6 2E eib_ 2]>] |2J b] w:4<D E9@F89E (2=C2E9 H@F=5 36 8@?6 2 H9:=6[ D@ 96 8@E 2 3F4<6E @7 E@@=D 2?5 H6?E E@ C6A2:C E96 82E6]k^Am
kAm“t5 DFCAC:D65 >6j 96 42>6 324<[” w:4<D D2:5] (2=C2E9 AF==65 9:D ECF4< H:E9:? `_ 766E @7 E96 82E6[ 2?5 E96? DE@AA65] w:4<D D2:5 96 E@=5 (2=C2E9 96 H@F=5 36 2 >:?FE6 =@?86Cj 96 H2?E65 E@ 7:I 2 82E6 DFAA@CE E92E H2D 5C288:?8 @? E96 8C@F?5]k^Am
kAmw:4<D D2:5 96 EFC?65 324< E@ E96 82E6 H96? 96 962C5 (2=C2E9 D2J 96 H2D?’E 8@:?8 E@ H2:E 2?J>@C6] (2=C2E9 DECF4< w:4<D 2?5 E96 EH@ D4F77=65] w:4<D D2:5 96 <:4<65 (2=C2E9 36EH66? E96 =68D[ 2?5 E96 EH@ A2CE65 =@?8 6?@F89 7@C w:4<D E@ 5C2H 9:D 92?58F?]k^Am
kAm(2=C2E9 C2? 2E 9:> 282:?[ 2?5 H96? E96 EH@ 4@==:565[ w:4<D D2:5 9:D E9F>3 >FDE 92G6 EFC?65 @77 E96 D276EJ @? E96 8F?[ H9:49 7:C65 :?E@ E96 2:C] “%92E <:?5 @7 D9@4<65 FD 3@E9[” w:4<D D2:5]k^Am
kAm(2=C2E9 H6?E 324< E@ E96 ECF4<[ C624965 :?E@ E96 365[ D2:5[ “x’> 8@:?8 E@ <:== J@FC W6IA=6E:G6X 2DD[” 2?5 AF==65 @FE H92E w:4<D E9@F89E H2D 2 D9@E8F?[ w:4<D E6DE:7:65]k^Am
kAmw:4<D E6DE:7:65 E92E (2=C2E9 D2:5[ “*@F D@? @7 3:E49[” 2?5 “x C2:D65 >J A:DE@= 2 D64@?5 E:>6 2?5 D9@E]”k^Am
kAm“x ;FDE DE@@5 E96C6 F?E:= x E9@F89E :E H2D D276 E@ 8@ ?62C 9:>[” w:4<D D2:5] w6 E6DE:7:65k^Am
kAm96 5:5?’E ECJ 42C5:@AF=>@?2CJ C6DFD4:E2E:@? H96? 96 D2H (2=C2E9 925 2 496DE H@F?5]k^Am
kAm%96 @3;64E w:4<D E9@F89E H2D 2 D9@E8F? EFC?65 @FE E@ 36 E96 92?5=6 E@ 2 D=658692>>6C]k^Am
kAmw6?CJ r@F?EJ $96C:77 y] z6?E ~36C<C@> D2:5 H96? 56AFE:6D D62C4965 w:4<D’ 9@FD6[ E96J 7@F?5 2 G:56@ 42>6C2 E2A:?8 E96 5C:G6H2J 6?EC2?46[ 2?5 2 E9C66 'r#D D6E FA E@ C64@C5 ac 9@FCD 2 52J] %96 42>6C2 72465 2H2J 7C@> E96 D64@?5 82E6]k^Am
kAm%96 E2A6[ H:E9 2F5:@[ D9@H65 (2=C2E9 =62G:?8]k^Am
kAmp7E6C 2 76H >:?FE6D[ w:4<D H6?E E@ C6A2:C E96 82E6 H:E9 2 3F4<6E @7 E@@=D] p 76H >:?FE6D =2E6C[ (2=C2E9 C6EFC?65] q:C5D 49:CA65] %96 H:?5 3=6H] w:4<D D9@E @?46] w6 D9@E EH:46 :? BF:4< DF446DD:@?] p A2FD6] %96? 2 7@FCE9 D9@E]k^Am
kAm(2=C2E9’D >@E96C[ D:EE:?8 :? E96 E9:C5\7=@@C 4@FCEC@@> @7 E96 w6?CJ r@F?EJ r@FCE9@FD6[ 3682? 4CJ:?8 H96? D96 962C5 E96 D9@ED @? E96 E2A6] w6C D@? AFE 9:D 2C> 2C@F?5 96C] (2=C2E9’D 72E96C H:A65 E62CD 2H2J]k^Am
kAm~? 2 E2A6 @7 E96 h`` 42== A=2J65 2E E96 :?BF6DE[ w:4<D E@=5 E96 5:DA2E496C E92E 96 EC:65 r!#[ 2?5 (2=C2E9 H2D?’E 3C62E9:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 D96C:77 E6DE:7:65 E92E 6:89E >:?FE6D A2DD65 7C@> E96 E:>6 @7 E96 D9@@E:?8 E@ E96 E:>6 @7 E96 7:CDE h`` 42== 23@FE :E]k^Am
kAms6E64E:G6 t5 q2:=6J E6DE:7:65 E92E 2 5@4E@C A6C7@C>:?8 E96 2FE@ADJ 7@F?5 EH@ 3F==6E H@F?5D[ 2?5 2 E9:C5 >2C< E92E 4@F=5 92G6 366? >256 3J 2 3F==6E 8C2K:?8 (2=C2E9’D 496DE]k^Am
kAmqF==6ED 6?E6C:?8 (2=C2E9’D 3@5J >256 3@E9 H@F?5D] ~?6 H2D :? E96 >:5\=67E 324<[ E96 @E96C :? E96 =@H6C =67E 235@>6?] q2:=6J E6DE:7:65[ 32D65 @? 9:D AC6G:@FD 6IA6C:6?46 2D 2 A2C2>65:4[ E92E 6:E96C H@F?5 H@F=5 92G6 <:==65 (2=C2E9 H:E9:? D64@?5D]k^Am
kAmk6>mk2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i@>2==6JoD652=:256>@4C2E]4@>Qm@>2==6JoD652=:256>@4C2E]4@>k^2mk^6>mk^Am