Indiana man gets 48 years after neighbor slain during survey

RICHMOND, Ind. (AP) - An eastern Indiana man has been sentenced to 48 years in prison for fatally shooting a neighbor while the property line between their homes was being surveyed.

Billy Wilson Sr., 78, showed no emotion Monday as a Wayne County judge sentenced him in the November 2020 killing of 32-year-old KC Allen Simpson, the (Richmond) Palladium-Item reported.

A jury had convicted Wilson in May of murder in Simpson's slaying, which occurred during a survey of the property line between the men's Hagerstown homes.

According to trial testimony the neighbors had a history of disputes before Simpson exited his house when he saw a surveyor, who Wilson had hired, in his yard. Wilson shot Simpson six times, delivering the final three shots after the wounded man fell on the ground.

Prosecutors had sought a 55-year sentence for Simpson, while Simpson's defense attorney had requested a 45-year sentence. In sentencing Simpson to 48 years, Judge Charles Todd Jr. cited his lack of any previous criminal record and his military service as mitigating factors.

But the judge found Wilson's lack of remorse in Simpson's death to be an aggravating circumstance.

Wilson, who has claimed self-defense, indicated that he plans to appeal his conviction and said he's hired an appellate attorney.

Wilson faces a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Simpson's mother.