Jury trial begins for man accused of shooting and killing his friend
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IDAHO FALLS – A jury trial began Monday for a man facing murder charges after he allegedly shot his friend who accused him of having an affair with his girlfriend.
Marshal Dee Hendricks, 31, is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, use of a deadly weapon in commission of a felony, and unlawful possession by a convicted felon after a heated argument on Labor Day in 2019.
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After a jury was selected Monday morning, attorneys recounted a fight at a Bonneville County home that allegedly ended with Rory Neddo being shot in the face by Hendricks.
Neddo reportedly became upset at Hendricks over a sexual relationship Hendricks had with Neddo’s ex-girlfriend. While at a friend’s house, Hendricks told Neddo where he was and said, “If you want to f****** fight, let’s fight.” Neddo allegedly replied, “I’m coming over to blow out your knee caps.”
The two then began acting aggressively toward each other, and Neddo supposedly threatened that Hendricks would never speak again. Hendricks then shot Neddo in the face, according to the prosecutor.
Hendricks is now married to the woman that he found with Neddo. The woman submitted a document waiving spousal privilege in the case that would have potentially allowed her to not take the witness stand.
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The defense argued that Hendricks was acting in self-defense as Neddo was allegedly known to carry a gun in a holster in the back of his waistband and was reportedly high on meth at the time.
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Many witnesses were called to testify, including Deputy Patrick Crapo, a patrol deputy and K9 officer with the Bonneville County Sheriff’s office.
“Until I am presented with deadly force, I have no authorization to present deadly force myself,” Crapo testified during the trial.
Body cam footage showed a body, identified as Neddo, lying in the driveway surrounded by pools of blood as he was being evaluated by police and fire department officials. A Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office deputy took photos with his cell phone. An unidentified woman is shown at the end trying to enter the crime scene and is visibly distraught.
The state argued that Neddo did not have a gun on him, only brass knuckles in a buttoned pocket. But the defense said that Neddo did have a gun and that someone removed it from his waistband and placed it into his car after the shooting.
The trial will convene again on Tuesday at 8:20 a.m.
First-degree murder in Idaho faces a maximum sentence of death, but prosecutors have not issued their intent to seek the death penalty.