A man who prosecutors said barged into the Illinois home of his ex-girlfriend and shot her new lover has been found guilty of murder.

Stanford Stokes, 44, of St. Louis, Missouri, had claimed self-defense ahead of his trial for the murder of 32-year-old Jarred Hayes, whom he shot on Nov. 7, 2023. According to courtroom reporting by local news outlet The Telegraph, prosecutors said that Stokes had entered the home of his former girlfriend and found her in bed with Hayes, her new boyfriend. Stokes then retrieved her handgun from her purse and fired at Hayes, who attempted to run away.

Stokes' defense claimed that Hayes also had a gun and that Stokes was trying to defend himself. The jury, however, disagreed .

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