Jason Abram Caldwell, 45, was found shot to death inside his Waynesville home on Allens Creek Road on May 13, 2024. Officers arrived at about 8:30 p.m. and discovered Caldwell with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body; he was pronounced dead at the scene despite lifesaving efforts.

Investigators arrested 21-year-old Dillard Thomas Hooper and charged him with common law murder. Hooper, who was reportedly in a relationship with Caldwell’s daughter and present in the house when the shooting occurred, admitted to firing the gun but has said he acted in self-defense. Prosecutors say there is no evidence of a physical altercation before the shooting and that Caldwell was unarmed in his own home. The court set bond at $3 million, ordered surrender of passports and restricted Hooper to Haywood County; his next court date was set for May 29, 2024.

What details about the events inside the house that evening might help clarify whether this was self-defense or murder?