Man fatally shot his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend with her gun after walking in on them in bed

A antheral who prosecutors said barged into the Illinois location of his ex-girlfriend and shot her caller lover has been recovered blameworthy of murder.

Stanford Stokes, 44, of St. Louis, Missouri, had claimed self-defense up of his proceedings for the execution of 32-year-old Jarred Hayes, whom helium changeable connected Nov. 7, 2023. According to courtroom reporting by section quality outlet The Telegraph, prosecutors said that Stokes had entered the location of his erstwhile woman and found her successful bed with Hayes, her caller boyfriend. Stokes past retrieved her handgun from her purse and fired astatine Hayes, who attempted to tally away.

Stokes' defence claimed that Hayes besides had a weapon and that Stokes was trying to support himself. The jury, however, disagreed.

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According to prosecutors, who described the narration arsenic "on-again, off-again," Stokes called his erstwhile woman respective times passim the time earlier helium arrived astatine her location connected the nighttime of Nov. 7, 2023. When helium got to the door, helium kicked it open, and recovered the pistillate and Hayes having sex.

Prosecutors said that Stokes, alert that the pistillate kept a handgun successful her bag, "got her weapon and shot" Hayes aggregate times arsenic helium tried to flight Stokes. But Stokes' fateful mistake was "inadvertently" making different telephone to his ex-girlfriend that captured the audio of the shooting. According to courtroom reporting by St. Louis-based Fox affiliate KTVI, Assistant State's Attorney Luke Yager stated, "Twenty seconds aft [Stokes] shoots, he's inactive sitting there, arguing. He gets close up successful her face, and he's yelling astatine her."

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Hayes was recovered extracurricular the location by constabulary responding to reports of a shooting successful the area. He was taken to a infirmary successful St. Louis wherever helium succumbed to gunshot wounds. Alton, Illinois, sits connected the state's borderline with Missouri, adjacent to the St. Louis area.

Stokes' defence lawyers conceded that their lawsuit fired a weapon astatine Hayes, but they claimed that Hayes had a weapon himself. Stokes, they said, "did what helium had to bash to support himself."

Police said that Stokes fled Alton for Texas aft the shooting, throwing the execution limb successful the Missouri River on the way. Stokes was arrested successful Texas and extradited to Illinois' Madison County for his trial.

In summation to first-degree murder, Stokes was besides recovered blameworthy of location penetration and possession of a stolen firearm. His sentencing day has not yet been determined.