Kevin Lester Newhouse, 36, was killed on the afternoon of Wednesday, December 6, 2023, after a neighborhood dispute in Lexington, South Carolina turned deadly. Neighbors Ryan Jordan Lindler Sr., 52, and his son Ryan Jordan Lindler Jr., 26, confronted Newhouse over an alleged trespassing incident and followed him to his home on Seleta Circle, where they prevented him from re-entering.

Accounts differ about what happened next. Ryan Lindler Jr. said Newhouse grabbed a machete and struck both men, but investigators reported the elder Lindler had taken the machete from Newhouse before a handgun was fired. Sheriff Jay Koon’s office says detectives concluded Ryan Lindler Sr. instructed his son to shoot Newhouse, who was unarmed when shot. Ryan Lindler Jr. then called 911. Both Lindlers were arrested the evening of the shooting and charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime; each was later released on $150,000 bond after an initial denial of bond.

The case raises contested questions about property rights, use of force, and self-defense as it moves toward court. If anyone witnessed the confrontation on Seleta Circle or the events leading to it, please come forward with information.