GET OFF MY PROPERTY!

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**sexiest_hero**

HOUSTON (May 9) - A 7-year-old boy who was allegedly shot in the head by a couple who thought he and three other people were trespassing on their property died Saturday, authorities said.
Donald Coffey Jr. died Saturday morning at a Houston hospital, less than two days after the boy was struck in the head by shotgun pellets, Liberty County Sheriff's Cpl. Hugh Bishop said. Sheila Muhs and her husband, Gayle Muhs, both 45, were charged with second-degree felony counts of aggravated assault in the shootings Thursday. They were being held at Liberty County Jail with bail set at $25,000 each and had not yet retained an attorney, Bishop said. Bishop said the district attorney could upgrade the charges to murder on Monday. The boy, his 5-year-old sister, their father and a family friend were off-roading near a residential area about 40 miles northeast of Houston when they were shot after stopping so the children could go to the bathroom. Authorities said the couple fired after they mistakenly thought the group was trespassing on their property.
Bishop said the area includes a dirt road, trees and overgrown brush and that it wasn't uncommon for people to go off-roading there. The Houston Chronicle reported that a sign in front of the suspects' home reads: "Trespassers will be shot. Survivers will be reshot!! Smile I will."
Liberty County Chief Deputy Ken DeFoor said Sheila Muhs fired a 12-gauge shotgun once, then handed it to her husband, who also fired once. The boy, his 5-year-old sister, their father and a family friend were off-roading near a residential area about 40 miles northeast of Houston when they were shot after stopping so the children could go to the bathroom.
Authorities said the couple fired after they mistakenly thought the group was trespassing on their property.
Bishop said the area includes a dirt road, trees and overgrown brush and that it wasn't uncommon for people to go off-roading there. The Houston Chronicle reported that a sign in front of the suspects' home reads: "Trespassers will be shot. Survivers will be reshot!! Smile I will."
Liberty County Chief Deputy Ken DeFoor said Sheila Muhs fired a 12-gauge shotgun once, then handed it to her husband, who also fired once.

If you're going to shoot somebody for being on your land, first make sure they are actually on you land, second make sure they are putting your life in danger or commiting a feloney crime, 3rd avoid 7 year olds who are just taking a leak.

**Frazzled**

1. Agreed on all counts
2. Thats blindingly illegal (the shooting part).
3. I feel for the family.
4. If I were the couple I'd stay in jail. Thats the only place they're safe now in my book from the father.

**mcfly**

Pretty horrible story. People are stupid though...

**Typeline**

Most stupid red necks don't understand that you can't shoot someone for trespassing on your property. You can only shoot them if they enter your private residence unlawfully.

It isn't the first time this kind of thing has happened.

I guess the morale of the story is, don't think your safe around stupid people with guns.

**Frazzled**

Typeline wrote:

I guess the morale of the story is, don't think your safe around stupid people.

Fixed your typo.

**George Spiggott**

"Trespassers will be shot. Survivers will be reshot!! Smile I will."

I'm no lawyer but that's premetitation, ie. murder, right there is it not?

**Alazahr**

Kind of reminds me of the 911 call I listened to not long ago about an old guy watching over his neighbor's house why the guy was gone and two guys broke in and were climbing back out the neighbor's window w/ stuff in their hands. He told the 911 operator that he was going out there w/ his shotgun and was going to shoot them. You can hear the guy put down the phone and blow off two rounds. In the end the guy wasn't even charged w/ a crime for their shooting deaths. (He only killed one of the two.) Now that's a neighbor I do want to have...

-J.

**dietrich**

I learned a basic rule in hand-to-hand training. Only get into a fight that is worth killing someone over. Is it worth killing someone because he's stealing your neighbor's stereo? Or pissing on your rose garden? And I don't mean this just in regard to firing a weapon at someone (which a high potential for a fatality) but even just getting in a barfight with someone because he was oogling yer woman (or you were oogling his). If someone breaks into my house, I've made the decision that I'm going to take any measure necessary to protect my family. If I want the neighbor's kids to stop running through the back of my yard, I put up a fence, I don't take potshots at them.

People are stupid. There is a devestated family now, and a father who will probably blame himself for his son's death for the rest of his life (which now, I would worry about the father committing suicide due to guilt).

I hope the shooters are put in prison for a long time and are sued by the victims and left penniless.

**Frazzled**

dietrich wrote:I learned a basic rule in hand-to-hand training. Only get into a fight that is worth killing someone over. Is it worth killing someone because he's stealing your neighbor's stereo? Or pissing on your rose garden? And I don't mean this just in regard to firing a weapon at someone (which a high potential for a fatality) but even just getting in a barfight with someone because he was oogling yer woman (or you were oogling his). If someone breaks into my house, I've made the decision that I'm going to take any measure necessary to protect my family. If I want the neighbor's kids to stop running through the back of my yard, I put up a fence, I don't take potshots at them.

Good words there dietrich

People are stupid. There is a devestated family now, and a father who will probably blame himself for his son's death for the rest of his life (which now, I would worry about the father committing suicide due to guilt).

Again I'd be much more worried the father would commit two homicides. He can wait until they get out on bail or from jail.

**Kilkrazy**

I wonder if the shooters were smiling once they found they had shot a young child.

**Orkeosaurus**

Who wasn't even on their property.

How stupid can you get?

(Also, InB4GunControlShitstorm)

**Frazzled**

I am trying to understand their train of "logic." Someone is near their property, so they start blasting away with buckshot?

Yea they sound like idiot turdmonkeys. That doesn't even sound like a drug house. They wouldn't fire away like that and get police involved.

**LuciusAR**

Heck even if the kid was dropping a steamer in the middle of their lawn, going out guns blazing cannot possibly be considered an appropriate response.

I hope they are kept locked up for their own safety, a whole neighborhood will be after them otherwise.

**Frazzled**

Word.

**dietrich**

Frazzled wrote:Word.

It's been a long time since I've seen anyone use that. I can only reply with "an' shet".

Granted, we don't know the whole story. We don't know the shooter's story. Had people been vandalizing their property? Did someone try to break-in the night before? I would hope they wouldn't go off and just shoot at someone for wizzing on the bushes. But, regardless of their side of the story, that doesn't excuse their actions. They should be punished and harshly. You don't fire a loaded weapon at a target you don't intend to destroy or kill. If they had fired a half-load of rocksalt, or into the ground, etc. - and a tragedy happened - I'd be a little sympathetic since the intent wasn't there. I hope their intent wasn't to kill a child, but you don't know.

Fraz, in the late 80's, some creep abducted, raped, and killed two teenage girls in the Pittsburgh area. They caught the guy. On the courthouse steps, some TV crew asked one of the fathers what he thought should happen. The father's response was, to the effect, "as long as he's in there, I can't get to him."

**Frazzled**

dietrich wrote:

Fraz, in the late 80's, some creep abducted, raped, and killed two teenage girls in the Pittsburgh area. They caught the guy. On the courthouse steps, some TV crew asked one of the fathers what he thought should happen. The father's response was, to the effect, "as long as he's in there, I can't get to him."

Exactly.

**grizgrin**

George Spiggott wrote:
"Trespassers will be shot. Survivers will be reshot!! Smile I will."

I'm no lawyer but that's premetitation, ie. murder, right there is it not?

That's a joke. It's a sign, and while I am certainly not defending the actions of this knuckle draggin brother-sister combo, the sign was a joke. An obvious one.

**Frazzled**

I'd bet good money that I'll never spend in Europe (ok maybe Italy), that that supports mens rea and as such is not a good thing.

**Deff Dread red Edition**

Stupidity,does it know no limits?

**reds8n**

Frazzled wrote:I'd bet good money that I'll never spend in Europe (ok maybe Italy), that that supports mens rea and as such is not a good thing.

Que ?

**spartanghost**

reds8n wrote:
Frazzled wrote:I'd bet good money that I'll never spend in Europe (ok maybe Italy), that that supports mens rea and as such is not a good thing.

Que ?

mens rea means intent to commit a crime IIRC

**Frazzled**

reds8n wrote:
Frazzled wrote:I'd bet good money that I'll never spend in Europe (ok maybe Italy), that that supports mens rea and as such is not a good thing.

Que ?

Thats one of them thar $5 words lawyers spout off once in a while to support the rediculous fees they charge.

Mens Rea, "guilty mind" (Lat), refers to the mental state that must generally accompany a prohibited act before it can legally be considered a crime. Different offences require different mental states; some require intention, eg, to commit theft; some knowledge, eg, that property possessed is stolen. In the case of some offences (viz, those of "strict" and "absolute liability"), no mens rea requirement exists.

I am not saying this properly but it could be used to support that they had the intial predisposition to have the mental state necessary for homicide or a manslaughter claim.
if it went to jury trial; 9unlikely) the prosecutor could bring it up. Even if objected to the jury would still have heard it.

Nut job
+ firing gun
+ intent to cause harm on passers by (premeditated even? its difficult but I'd try it as prosecutor)
+handing to spouse so other spouse could get in on the fun
=
long prison stay or a slight chance of his and hers medical gurneys.

**reds8n**

Hmm.... so if I hang up one of those "you don't have to be mad to work here, but.." signs up then ...

Sounds a bit dodgy to me, surely for it to be used as evidence in a murder trial you'd have to link it directly to the victim rather than just a general threat to all and sundry.

[amateur lawyers hour/]

**jp400**

Had this happen to a "Friend" of mine....

Been haveing a problem with teens on dirtbikes tearing off the beaten path and spinning donuts in "his" driveway. (Dirt road on 15 wooded acres) One even took out the mailbox with im thinking a baseball bat. (could see the tracks leading up to it)

He was putting up said fence and even put up a few no trespassing signs.

Last Fall he was rakeing up the pine needles getting ready to burn down by one of his gates when here comes johney son of a bitch and his buddies from the woods on dirtbikes.

He had his shotgun with him cause he has a black bear thats still hanging around the place eating the dog food and bird seed. He got directly in their path and fired one round into the air being very careful not to point it at or near any of them.

They immediatly stop dead in there tracks and sat there stareing at him as he cocked the shotgun still pointing it away from them in a safe direction the whole time.

They were told in a very loud and clear voice that he didnt much appreciate people tearing up his land and then suggested that they leave by the way they came and never set foot on my property again.

He heard a yes sir and off they left the way they came.

Been 9 or so months and havent had a problem with dirtbikers since.

Now dont get me wrong.... What happened in the Op's story was wrong and I hope the idiots go to jail for a very long time over what happened.

There is a time and a place for use of deadly force... that wasnt one of them.

Gun can help solve many problems if used correctly by people who have more then two brain cells.

**jp400**

reds8n wrote:Hmm.... so if I hang up one of those "you don't have to be mad to work here, but.." signs up then ...

Sounds a bit dodgy to me, surely for it to be used as evidence in a murder trial you'd have to link it directly to the victim rather than just a general threat to all and sundry.

[amateur lawyers hour/]

Nope.

In a country where free speach is protected, I could hang a sign up that says "Warning! anyone who sets foot on my land will be gutted with a dull knife and your head stuck on the end of a pike for all to see! have a nice day lol" sign on my front door and nobody can do anything about it.

**Frazzled**

And I can use it in a courtroom baby.

**jp400**

A courtroom baby? I always wondered what the judges were hideing under those long black robes....

**Frazzled**

You don't want to know

**jp400**

Rofl.

**Lordhat**

jp400 wrote:
reds8n wrote:Hmm.... so if I hang up one of those "you don't have to be mad to work here, but.." signs up then ...

Sounds a bit dodgy to me, surely for it to be used as evidence in a murder trial you'd have to link it directly to the victim rather than just a general threat to all and sundry.

[amateur lawyers hour/]

Nope.

In a country where free speach is protected, I could hang a sign up that says "Warning! anyone who sets foot on my land will be gutted with a dull knife and your head stuck on the end of a pike for all to see! have a nice day lol" sign on my front door and nobody can do anything about it.

Until you you actually find somebody on your land, gut them with a dull knife, and pike their head. THEN it's grounds for premeditation. I hope these two backwoods fuckwads are given to the boy's parents for a period of no less than 7 days before being dipped in honey and staked outside an anthill in the Texas desert. Two small movements of a trigger finger, one GIANT leap backwards for gun rights in the U.S.

P.S. If the parents are too 'christian' to apply the appropriate amount of torture, I can see to it that it gets done. I just hope these criminals didn't procreate already, our genepool really can't take much more idiocy.