By Brian Rogers
Houston Chronicle
Jurors Monday returned to court to hear witnesses defend Raul Rodriguez, who was convicted of murder in the shooting death of Kelly Danaher, a neighbor who was having a loud party.
Rodriguez videotaped his encounter with Danaher and a group of his friends just after midnight on May 2, 2010.
The 22-minute video shows Rodriguez confronting Danaher and his guests about a birthday party in a rural northwest Harris County neighborhood. Rodriguez tells the men he is in fear for his life and is standing his ground.
The video ends with a gunshot after, apparently, Danaher and two other men charged Rodriguez on the road next to Danaher’s driveway. Jurors rejected defense claims that Rodriguez was acting in self-defense and convicted the 47-year-old on June 13.
Jurors heard from prosecutors about Rodriguez’s past, including several run-ins with his neighbors, but because of a scheduling conflict, the trial has been on a break for more than a week.