Kriti Mehrotra
It was on the morning of July 26, 2017, when the entire world turned upside down for the Wilson family in Danville, Virginia, as Jerry Franklin Wilson was found dead in his own home. The 61-year-old was killed in a way no one could have ever imagined, but thankfully, it did not take long for authorities to identify his perpetrator and bring him much-deserved justice. This entire matter has since been chronicled on Investigation Discovery’s ‘Fear Thy Neighbor: What’s Mine is Mine,’ which shines a clear light upon what precisely transpired and why.
Jerry Wilson Was Shot to Death At His Doorstep
Jerry Wilson was born on October 29, 1955, in Danville, Virginia, into a really happy, loving, supportive family helmed by Elizbeth Wilson Anderson and Wilbert Anderson. He was reportedly one of four siblings – he had a sister named Aretha Anderson as well as 2 brothers named Jerome Wilson and Jelani Lynch – with whom she shared a great connection. Therefore, by the time he’d started a family of his own, he knew he wanted to emulate the same values as his parents and siblings, all the while potentially returning to settle down in his hometown.
Since Jerry served in the Marine Corps as a sharpshooter for a good portion of his adult life, he lived across the nation for his many deployments before returning to civilian life. He subsequently took a job at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. to continue providing for his family, with his wife, Robin Hubbard Wilson, and their 4 children supporting him every step of the way. His kids are Ebony Wilson, Laresha Caves, Gennira Carr, and Karseem Wilson, all of whom had grown up and moved out of the home by the time he was close to retiring in 2o14. Robin, who worked at a bank, also retired around the same time, following which the couple moved into 529 Cabell Street in Danville, as Jerry surprised her by buying their dream home.
The couple had long discussed ultimately returning to the area so as to enjoy retirement and just be dedicated parents as well as grandparents, so he decided to make that a reality. Unfortunately, their dream crumbled apart at around 11:30 am on July 26, 2017, as officers responded to a shooting call at their address. Jerry had been shot in the right side just as he was walking into his front door, so he was found lying unconscious, face down in his dining room. According to his autopsy report, he was hit by a single bullet, which went through his right lung, into his right aorta, came out of his heart, and then went into his left lung. As per the report, he bled out in his chest cavity, so his manner of death was ascertained as homicide.
Jerry Wilson’s Perpetrator Was Arrested and Charged Within Hours
A 74-year-old man by the name of Herbert Snipes dialed 911 around 11:30 am on July 26, 2017, telling the dispatcher that he had just shot someone over a neighborly dispute. When officials arrived at the scene, they found him standing on his front porch in an allegedly calm, emotionless manner before directing officers to the home of his next-door neighbor. Jerry’s glass front door was shattered, and he was found unconscious. First-responders administered CPR before rushing him to the Danville Regional Medical Center for possible treatment, but to no avail. While he was sadly pronounced dead, Herbert admitted to using his .22 caliber rifle, which was now leaning up against the wall beside his front door, to shoot his neighbor.
According to the arrest warrant issued against Herbert within hours, he told a deputy at the scene that he intended to shoot Jerry in the head because he wanted to kill him. Therefore, he was charged with one count each of first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. As investigations continued, it came to light that the two neighbors had been involved in a dispute over the boundary line between their respective properties from the moment the Wilsons moved in. However, the dispute itself dated back to at least 2005, with Herbert and the previous owners of 529 Cabell Street being the initial parties involved.
According to records, Herbert believed he owned the land on which his neighbor’s house stood and that the city had illegally sold it off to his previous neighbors and then the Wilsons. He went to city hall several times over the years to resolve the matter, only to be told repeatedly that there was a clear boundary line and a legal deed separating the two homes. As per reports, he had even contacted the police, the mayor, and the President of the United States regarding the matter, only to be told it was a civil matter to be taken up with the city. As a result of his incessant attempts to prove he owned the Wilsons’ home and essentially drive them out, there was animosity between the neighbors, but no one could have ever imagined it would culminate in homicide.
Jerry Wilson’s Perpetrator Tried Claiming Self-Defense
When Herbert stood trial for the charges against him in 2018, he testified that he was acting in self-defense. According to his statements, he and Jerry had gotten into an argument over their property line once again on the fateful morning, following which he’d called the police. However, apart from advising him on whom he could speak to regarding the matter, the authorities were unable to assist because his complaint was once again civil and not criminal. Shortly after, while Robin went out to run some errands, Herbert went downtown to see if he could speak with officials or the mayor to resolve the matter for good. He claimed that when he returned home without a result, Jerry saw him from his front lawn and began taunting him.
As per Herbert’s statements, when Jerry turned around and started walking towards his home, he believed it was to grab a weapon and harm him. Therefore, he rushed inside his own home, grabbed his rifle, walked to the edge of his porch, and fired in self-defense just as his neighbor was stepping inside his front door. He also testified that Jerry had been picking on him and harassing him for years, even going as far as to sic his two pitbulls on him while he was mowing grass. He further alleged that Jerry owned two handguns, which he knew because he often saw him clean them out in the open on the porch, before adding he even heard gunshots in the alley at night.
Since Virginia is an open carry state, the prosecution argued there was no issue in Jerry cleaning his weapons where he did. Moreover, his wife Robin claimed that while he knew how to handle guns owing to his military past, he never once practiced shooting in city limits, let alone in the alley beside their home. Other witnesses testified to Herbert’s incessant complaints about the property line, his several police calls over the years, and his own alleged harassing behavior. A secretary from city hall also testified that around 2 or 3 months prior to the shooting, Herbert had visited to talk about the property line once again before asking, “How much time he would get if he just killed his neighbor” to get the land. Therefore, the jury ultimately sided with the prosecution and found him guilty as charged.
Herbert Snipes is Currently Serving Time in Prison
Herbert was subsequently sentenced to 20 years for first-degree murder and 3 years for use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He appealed this verdict in 2019, but to no avail. So, today, at the age of 83, he is incarcerated at the level 3 security Green Rock Correctional Center in Chatham, Virginia, where he is expected to remain until at least December 2036.
Read More: Jerry Cassaday: What Happened to Him? How Did He Die?
