ORANGE, Texas — An Orange County jury has found a Vidor landlord guilty of fatally shooting his tenant in 2017.
James McClelland, 74, was found guilty of manslaughter Friday in Orange County's 163rd District Court for the shooting death of Chris Nicolasora, 38.
Following a pre-sentence report his sentence will be determined by trial judge Rex Peveto on October 19, 2022.
McClelland was 68 at the time of the shooting.
On the day of the shooting a Vidor Police officer happened to be patrolling near in the 1300 block of First St in Vidor and heard a pop, Vidor Police Chief Rod Carroll told 12News in 2017.
The officer looked toward the sound and saw Nicolasora walk outside a house and collapse on the lawn Carroll said in 2017.
Deanna White, who was Nicolasora's girlfriend at the time, lived with him in a trailer next to McClelland's house she told 12News in 2017.
Nicolasora had gone to McClelland's house to check on because he thought he was drunk she said.
She was surprised to hear gunshots and saw Nicolasora fall on the ground.
"Chris came out the front door and ran to me and said he got shot and fell to my feet and I kept yelling stay with me, stay with me," she said in 2017.
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The couple had lived in the trailer for only about two weeks when the shooting happened according to White
Nicolasora had recently gotten back on his feet after being homeless for some time following his hospitalization in a diabetic coma several years prior White told 12News in 2017.
"I'm mad at him he killed my best friend and a good person and hurt a lot of people for no reason," White said days after the shooting.