Chesco Man Convicted Of Murdering Next-Door Neighbor

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — A Chester County man has been convicted of first degree murder following what police described as a long running dispute with his next-door neighbor, George Brooks Jennings.

Sentencing for Clayton P. Carter III, 53, is forthcoming.

Carter's trial lasted just under a week, with defense lawyers attempting to argue that Carter killed his neighbor in self-defense, according to a report from KYW.

Prosecutors convinced the jury, however, that Carter planted the knife.

The incident occurred back in Aug. 2017 at around 7:50 p.m. one evening.

The dispute between Carter and Jennings went back years, and had grown so intense earlier on that same fatal evening that police were called to the neighborhood to intervene. However, it was believed that things were under control.

Carter told police Jennings was pointing a light in his face while he was outside. As a result, he told police he got into his car and shined his high beams on Jennings, who was in his own yard directly next door.

Police said Carter then went inside and got a semi-automatic handgun from his residence. He confronted Jennings outside, the District Attorney's Office said.

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That's when Jennings' wife heard a loud bang outside and ran to the window to see what had happened. She saw Carter standing over Jennings, and watched him a second shot into Jennings' head, according to authorities.

The exact cause of their final argument was not clear, though points of disagreement had run the gamut over the years from politics to lawn care, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Carter had previously pulled a gun on Jennings.

A sentencing date for Carter has not yet been announced.