SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts man charged with shooting and killing a teenager he thought was trying to break into his home has been found not guilty.
A judge handed down the verdict Tuesday in the manslaughter trial of 44-year-old Jeffrey Lovell, of Chicopee. Lovell had opted against having a jury trial.
Lovell was charged with killing 15-year-old Dylan Francisco in July 2016.
Prosecutors say Francisco banged on the door at Lovell’s home when he mistook it for a friend’s home.
Investigators say Lovell fired a shot through the door after Francisco broke one of its glass panes.
Lovell testified that he did not tell Francisco to go away or warn him that he had a gun.
Lovell said he feared for the safety of his family.
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