Texas Man Not Indicted in 2 Killings; Immigrants Shot in Back

Criminal Justice

Texas Man Not Indicted in 2 Killings; Immigrants Shot in Back

Posted Jun 30, 2008, 06:27 pm CDT
By Martha Neil

After two weeks of evidence and consideration, a Texas grand jury today refused to indict a 62-year-old retiree who shot two illegal immigrants in the back on Nov. 14, killing them.

Joe Horn initially called 911 when he apparently heard the men breaking into a neighbor's home in Pasadena, a town near Houston. But then, ignoring a dispatcher's instructions to stay inside his house, he went outside and confronted the men, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Unbeknownst to Horn and the suspects, a police detective had already arrived at the scene. But he apparently stayed in his unmarked car, afraid that Horn would mistake him for the getaway driver in the burglary, the newspaper recounts.

Attorney Tom Lambright, who is representing Horn, said earlier that his client regrets shooting the two men in the controversial case. "Was it a mistake from a legal standpoint? No. But a mistake in his life? Yes," Lambright told the newspaper in a separate story. "Because it's affected him terribly. And if he had it to do over again, he would stay inside.

"I don't think anybody can really appreciate the magnitude that something like this has on a person's personality."

Additional coverage:

Padadena Citizen: "Joe Horn Case: District attorney issues statement"

Pasadena Citizen: "Joe Horn Case: City of Pasadena's statement"

Defending People: "Not Right, But Not a Crime"

Updated at 12:53 p.m. to include additional coverage.

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Posted by CAF - 2 months, 1 week, 13 hours, 18 minutes ago

I’m curious as to the races of the shooter and the immigrants....
Posted by C - 2 months, 1 week, 12 hours, 15 minutes ago

This is great. It would have been one thing if they were laying on the ground surrendering, but when confronted, they came at this guy. What shocks me is that the lcoal chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens is pushing for tougher action on Horn. Maybe they should be more concerned about the underlying crimes (ie: robbery & assault) rather than the actions Horn took to stop them. I wish grand juries were this enlightened in my state.
Posted by Leroy - 2 months, 1 week, 11 hours, 27 minutes ago

Anyone found here at night, will be found here in the morning.
Posted by Ginkgo100 - 2 months, 1 week, 9 hours, 37 minutes ago

According to Horn’s statements immediately before the shooting, he went outside with the intent to kill. How can it be self-defense when he was out looking for trouble? I don’t understand how Texas law can allow this.

I wrote about this case on my blog today. http://ginkgo100.blogspot.com/2008/07/getting-away-with-murder-in-texas.html
Posted by Kim - 2 months, 1 week, 7 hours, 55 minutes ago

it’s unfortunate that the grand jury did not see fit to indict. Horn was not acting in self defense nor in defense of his property.
Posted by associate - 2 months, 1 week, 3 hours, 59 minutes ago

I agree that it’s a bit odd that he wasn’t indicted.

However, I can’t say that I’m sad that a couple of illegal aliens who were robbing the guy’s neighbor got exactly what they bargained for though.
Posted by TRT - 2 months, 6 days, 7 hours, 23 minutes ago

Makes absolutely no sense. The burglars were exiting someone else’s house, this man was safe in his home, was told to stay in his home, went outside to where the men were, and then shot them in their backs ...with a shotgun!. How on earth is this just? This is such an embarrassment to the American legal system. Shame. Shame.
Posted by Joe - 2 months, 4 days, 10 hours, 45 minutes ago

Are you people idiots? Illegal immigrants, thieves at that who put a drain on our economy and increase our insurance premiums while putting others at risk(what if someone was in that house) were killed. What should we do, put them in our already overcrowded jails so we, the taxpayers, can continue to pay for their mistakes. If you don’t like it leave the country, because you are exactly what the country does not need! We are becoming complacent, moving ever farther from what this country was founded on, yet more and more cry over political correctness. Govt. should be afraid of it’s people, not the people afraid of the system.
Posted by J.D. - 2 months, 1 day, 3 hours, 50 minutes ago

He was “told to stay in his home"… !! (post #7)

SO WHAT? A lowly 9-1-1 operator told him to stay in his home and watch his neighbor’s home get robbed. Anyone who would obey that order is a moron. Unbelievable how little conviction some deballed people have in this country… Please don’t ever be my neighbor.

AND to #4. Do you really think the shooter was “out looking for trouble”??? He was sitting in his home watching reruns. THE BANDITS who STOLE from a person’s HOME were looking for trouble.

Does liberalism lead to sympathy for the criminal or is it the other way around? Some of these postings sound like illogical rants by insane asylum escapees.
Posted by chicago - 2 months, 5 hours, 15 minutes ago

This is a crime anywhere but Texas where the wild west has continued to thrive. If they would have harmed this crazy vigilante instead of being shoot dead this story would be tragic. It does not set a good example for this town since burglary is punishable by death?????

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