LIBERTY COUNTY, Texas — A 70-year-old Liberty County man has been arrested and charged with murder after authorities said he shot his 60-year-old neighbor to death during an argument over his loose dog.
Investigators said the shooting appears to be the culmination of an ongoing neighborhood dispute between the men over the dog running loose.
The Liberty County Sheriff's Office said Eric Lee Elliott was arrested and booked into the county jail shortly after the deadly shooting last weekend.
What happened
According to investigators, Elliott was doing yard work at his home on County Road 2683 around 2:45 p.m. Friday when William Duncan Womack's dog got loose and entered Elliott's yard.
Investigators said Elliott saw Womack's step-daughter and told her that if they didn't keep their dog out of his yard, he would kill it.
The step-daughter told Womack about the threat to the family dog and he walked to the street to talk to Elliott. When the two men met in the street, according to witnesses, Elliott kicked Womack in the leg and pulled a gun from his waistband.
Investigators said Elliott shot Womack one time in the stomach with a .45-caliber handgun, put the gun in his truck, and continued with his yard work "as if nothing had ever happened."
During the confrontation in the street, investigators said, Womack's wife and step-daughter were screaming and trying to call for help.
When authorities arrived, they found Womack in the street. He was flown to an area hospital where he was later pronounced dead.