Hillsborough, North Carolina

From the Durham Herald-Sun of February 22, 2005

Hillsborough man kills armed intruder

A 28-year-old man Hillsborough man shot and killed a gun-wielding intruder at his home early Monday morning, and the district attorney has ruled he acted in self-defense.

Jerome Carl Murphy, 39, of 320 W. Union St., Hillsborough, died at the home of Durante Davis of 1807 Piney Grove Church Road about 2 a.m. Monday after Davis shot him twice in the chest, said Orange-Chatham District Attorney Carl Fox.

The incident began when Davis, who lives in an apartment attached to his parents' home east of Hillsborough, heard a knock on his door, Fox said. When Davis asked who it was, a man answered and said he needed help, Fox said. "When [Davis] opened the door, the person produced a gun and pushed his way into the home," Fox said.

The intruder, later identified as Murphy, had a knit cap pulled down over his face and a scarf over his mouth, Fox said. Murphy pushed Davis as he entered the room and got around behind him and held him while he put a gun to Davis' head, Fox said. "He said, 'Give it up. Give me everything,' " Fox said.

"Mr. Davis said, 'Take what you want,' and then decided to grab the gun that was against his head," Fox said.

Davis and Murphy struggled over the gun, and during the struggle, the gun fell to the floor. Murphy, who was still behind Davis, then pulled a knife out of his pocket and flipped it open, Fox said. Davis, however, had a .38-caliber gun in the pocket of his sweatpants, and he pulled that out and fired over his shoulder at Murphy, Fox said.

Davis fired the gun three times, and two shots hit Murphy. Murphy fell to the floor and died, Fox said.

During their investigation, sheriff's investigators found the gun and the knife that Murphy was carrying on the floor of the room. The gun turned out to be a pellet gun, Fox said.