CALDWELL COUNTY, Texas — A jury in Caldwell County found Terry Turner, a Martindale, Texas, man who killed another man who drove into his driveway two years ago, guilty of manslaughter on Thursday.
The state and defense both finished their closing arguments in the trial of Terry Duane Turner around 10:30 a.m. The jury then deliberated for more than five hours.
Turner shot and killed 31-year-old Adil Dghoughi in Martindale, Texas, on Oct. 11, 2021, and was originally charged with murder. Turner told authorities that an unknown vehicle entered his driveway late at night, so he grabbed his gun and chased after the car when it started backing out of the driveway.
The arrest affidavit stated that Turner struck the driver's side door twice and then fired his gun.
The state and defense argued whether Turner shooting Dghoughi was justified in self-defense.
The defense said that Turner was reasonable to protect himself because he should have the right to feel safe at his home. But the state argued that Dghoughi was reasonable to reverse out of the driveway when he saw Turner coming at him with a gun.
Dghoughi's family traveled from Morocco to be in court through the course of the trial.
The jury will be back at the Caldwell County Courthouse on Friday morning to start the punishment phase of the trial. Manslaughter carries a prison sentence of between two and 20 years in Texas.