A man confessed to fatally shooting his Barrow County neighbor over the victim’s dog droppings in his yard, a police officer testified Wednesday.
“Mr. (Larry) Bates did confess to shooting (Paul Allen Wilson) because the dog was using the bathroom in his yard,” Lt. Chris Hodge of the Auburn Police Department testified, according to Channel 2 Action News.
Wilson had just taken his dog out for a walk in his neighborhood early July 2 when he and his pet were gunned down, officials said. The incident came during an ongoing dispute between Wilson and Bates.
After the shooting, Bates was booked into the Barrow County Detention Center on murder and animal cruelty charges, officials said.
Wilson’s wife, Beth, told Channel 2 right after the shooting, “(Bates) just started harassing us about two months ago. He thought our dogs were using the bathroom in his yard.” She said the accusations were false.
The judge let the case against Bates move forward after Wednesday’s hearing.
Know what's really going on with crime and public safety in your metro Atlanta community, including breaking news, trial coverage, trends and the latest on unsolved cases. Sign up for the AJC's crime and safety newsletter delivered weekly to your inbox.
In other news: