Narrator: Neighbors can live side-by-side.
Jim: Morning. Banova: Morning.
You all set? All ready to go.
They can even work hand-in-hand.
Hard at it, huh?
There you go. Just in time.
At first, John and Jim were great together.
Narrator: But too much time too close...
[ Heavy metal blaring ]
One guy wanted to be loud and one guy wanted to be quiet.
Come on, Jim. Be reasonable.
When did you become a senior citizen?
Narrator: ...And things can get real ugly real fast.
He just got really hateful then.
Don't push me. I will call the cops!
[ Voice disguised ] He was scared that something really bad was gonna happen.
[ Gun cocks ] One of them had to move.
That would be the only way it would stop.
Either it was Jim or John.
This is gonna end!
[ Echoing ] Now!
[ Giggles ] Hi, daddy.
[ Glass cracking ]
This isn't over! [ Gun cocks ]
Man: Squeeze the trigger whenever you're ready.
[ Gunshot, sirens blaring ]
Woman: No!
Ah! Ah!
[ Chainsaw buzzing ]
[ Yells ] This Derek jerk.
Narrator: Las Vegas -- It's called Sin City
because the fun never stops.
But far from the crowds and noise,
locals prefer the peace and quiet of communities
like westport circle.
Pratt: It was a nice neighborhood. It was kind of quiet.
There was families with older children
and older people and, you know,
just people that kind of kept to themselves.
Everyone seemed to kind of wave at each other.
Everyone got along.
Narrator: No one is prouder to live here
than longtime resident contractor, John banova.
He helped build these houses in the 1970s.
John purchased the model home
that he built in that neighborhood.
He always mentioned, "I was here when they built these.
I was one of the very first people here."
[ Chuckles ] Hey, Derek.
How'd you make out today, John?
Oooh, good. They're biting.
Just like always. Look at this.
[ Groans ] ♪ aaah ♪
Wish I could have came.
Hill: Everybody loved to have John as a neighbor.
Outgoing individual. Extremely warm and welcoming.
[ Dog barking in distance ] Whoop. Hold on.
Hold on. [ Barking ]
Narrator: John likes to go everywhere with his best friend
alright. Back up.
Hill: Rosie was part of the family to John.
I think he cared about that dog more than he did most people.
There we go. Oh. Yeah, one of those is for you.
Don't you worry.
Narrator: Since John's dad died seven years ago,
he's especially devoted to his elderly mother
who lives just a couple of blocks away.
John and his mom's relationship was super tight.
John was a great son to his mom.
Whenever she needed anything, he was there.
Narrator: Another devoted son lives next door --
Painter Jim Stapleton.
Jim was living with his parents in the front room.
See you guys later. I'm working all day with John.
Okay then, dear.
Tell him to give you a break so you can work on our house.
Ha!
Narrator: Jim's father, frank, is a retired contractor.
He and his wife, lolita, moved here about 20 years after John.
Morning. Banova: Morning.
You all set? All ready to go.
Alright, good. These are good people.
Nice, easy day.
John definitely mentored Jim and taught him
basically everything he knew about the trade.
Jim was an honest hard-working American guy.
Just a regular guy.
[ Sighs ]
Narrator: And thanks to John's help,
Jim is finally moving out of his parents place.
Banova: [ Chuckles ] Hard at it, huh?
Here you go. Just in time.
As luck would have it,
Rob from next door is looking to rent his home.
Morning.
Essary: I was talking to John.
I'm like, "you know, I'm going to be moving out."
I need to find somebody." And he had mentioned,
"hey, Jim's looking for a place."
And that was it.
Here you go, Jim.
Thank you very much.
Keep it in the family, right? That's how we do it around here.
For sure. Take a lap inside?
Yeah, let's go. Let's take a look.
Lolita: After Jim moved out,
he lived two doors down from us, which was great.
Narrator: But sometimes being this close is too close for comfort.
[ Dog barking ]
[ Echoing ] You shut up, too, bitch!
[ Hand thuds ]
Get away from my home!
For a time, everyone's happy
with the cozy new living arrangements.
Lolita: Jim liked having his own place and he liked the house
and he did a lot of work in the house and the yard.
The backyard -- He didn't do much for the front.
Narrator: As Jim settles in, he finds a steady gig.
Jim finally landed a job at trump tower
as a painter for the facilities department.
He was quiet at first.
He kind of would go to work and come home.
That went on for quite a while.
Everything seemed normal in the neighborhood.
[ Birds chirping ]
[ Heavy metal music blaring ]
♪♪
[ Bottle clanks ]
[ Music intensifies ]
♪♪
Jim!
Jim?!!
[ Clattering ] Hey, Jim!
♪♪
[ Shouting ] Can you turn it down a bit?
Are you kidding, man?
I'm trying to relax over here.
[ Scoffs ] This is the way I like it!
John was upset about the noise that was going on with Jim.
[ Chuckling ] He was listening to some loud music.
Come on, Jim. Be reasonable.
I'm not turning it down.
When did you become a senior citizen?!
♪♪
[ Cackles ]
♪♪
[ Clattering ]
♪♪
Lolita: It's Jim's house.
If he wanted to play his music, what difference it make?
As long as they don't play it past 10 o'clock.
[ Chuckles ] That would drive me crazy, too.
[ Heavy metal blaring ]
Narrator: Perhaps Jim's landlord will do something about all the noise.
John would call me and complain.
For the first couple of weeks Jim did turn the music down,
you know, decently.
And then it was okay for about two weeks.
[ Hard rock blaring ]
♪♪
And after the two weeks, then I get a call from John.
"Hey, Rob. You know, this is getting ridiculous.
I think you need to have him move out."
Jim would be up all night making noise in the garage
or had his music going pretty loud.
[ Saw buzzing, hard rock blaring ]
♪♪
Jim!!
He was trying to remodel the house,
but it would be late at night. He'd be, you know,
making a lot of noise with power tools,
have his music going.
♪♪
[ Saw stops ]
♪♪
Jim! Jim!!
Hey!
You got to keep it down. It's the middle of the night!
[ Saw buzzes ]
[ Pulsing power to saw ]
♪♪
He got mad at Jim and that's when it really started.
He just got really hateful then.
♪♪
Narrator: And this isn't a fight with just one neighbor.
It turns out John has some history with Jim's parents.
Lolita: When we first met John he was fine.
He worked with my husband.
Frank just didn't need him anymore
because the work was slowing down.
So John didn't work for him anymore.
And that was unfortunate because they were neighbors
and there was a little bit of bad blood,
if you would, between the two of them.
[ Birds chirping ]
♪♪
Hey, Alan. Did you hear that racket?
Yeah. Woke up our baby.
Pratt: My baby's bedroom window
was right on the side of their house.
Maybe we should talk to him together.
Narrator: But it's not easy to get people engaged on westport circle.
I don't know. I just --
Maybe he'll listen if it's not just me.
Look, I just --
I don't think I want to get involved. You know?
If you look like you need help, I'll offer help.
But as far as getting involved in people's drama and stuff,
I just try to stay out of it
and make sure my family is taken care of.
Narrator: In this growing neighborhood dispute,
Jim doesn't want to be depicted as the bad guy.
Jim was getting annoyed. Jim didn't call me a lot
but we text, you know, back and forth.
"Hey. You know, John's bugging me again."
Hey! You bad-mouthing me to the neighbor?
You can't do this every night!
You better watch yourself.
Don't push me. I will call the cops!
♪♪
Essary: One guy was single in his party years.
One guy being in his retirement years.
And that was the issue --
Is one guy wanted to be loud and one guy wanted to be quiet.
[ Pounds on door ] Come on! Open up!
[ Pounds on door ]
Come on! Open up!
Narrator: Everything between the two former friends
becomes a point of contention.
[ Shouting ] What do you want?
At one point in time, Jim had asked John
to borrow a telescope.
And he had it for months on end.
That telescope meant a lot to John
'cause that was part of his dad.
His dad was nice enough to give that to him.
[ Shouting ] Give me back my dad's telescope.
I'm busy!
I need it back, Jim!
John was infuriated.
Give it back to me now!!
Stay away from my home!
Narrator: This isn't over.
Not by a long shot.
[ Groans angrily ]
[ Echoing ] That's the last thing you wanna do.
To hell with you!
He was scared that something really bad was going to happen.
♪♪
Narrator: A telescope isn't the only issue
between Jim Stapleton and John banova.
John wanted it back. Well, Jim gave it back to him.
So that's all I can tell you on that.
He said, "I gave thing back to you.
So what's your problem?" And that's it.
At first, John and Jim were great together.
They would hang out.
One would go to the others house. You know, vice versa.
And then as he lived next door, it just progressively got worse.
In we go.
[ Chuckles ]
Hill: A couple times, Jim would almost purposely
put his trash cans in front of John's driveway
so he couldn't get his truck out.
It really got under John's skin.
Just put the, next to each other there. Thanks, buddy.
[ Chuckles ]
[ Shouting ] What's funny over there, John? Did you have some fish?
[ Laughs ]
[ Shouting ] You think this is funny, frank?
You really want to do this right now?
You haven't changed a lick, John.
John's relationship with frank and lolita
was strained for sure.
When I moved in the neighborhood, anyway.
I vouched for you so you could rent that place
and this is how you thank me?
Stop bugging my family.
John was a very respectful individual
and he just wanted respect in return.
To hell with you.
What do I need him for anyway?
Couldn't agree more.
Lolita: Our relationship with John was pretty bad by that time.
We just didn't like him and when you don't like somebody,
you just don't bother with them. And I didn't like John
and he didn't like us, so why bother with him?
Narrator: Some say John was caught between neighbors
who were purposefully out to harass him.
Frank: [ Shouting ] Hey! Jim!
Jim: [ Shouting ] Hi! Are you there?
What? I can't hear you.
What'd you say?
You coming over tonight?
Frank and Jim were both antagonizing John for sure.
I saw it. I heard it.
I've got plans. I'm not coming.
You know how mom is. She'll get mad.
Tell her I'll come tomorrow night.
Okay! You sure?
Yeah!
Okay, son.
I'll see you later.
Alright. Have a good one!
Hill: Sandwiched in between frank and Jim,
John just felt like there was no escape.
I could see the irritation slowly starting to escalate.
Narrator: And when you're feeling trapped on both sides,
you're not always your best self.
♪♪
What are you looking at, bitch?
Hey! What's your problem?
Lolita: He started getting nasty and he would look over at me
and he'd call me the "b" word.
Come here, buddy. I'm talking to you.
You better watch it the next time you come out here.
You don't know what you're in for.
Who does he think he is, anyway?
Narrator: But for the two adversaries,
there's no getting away from each other.
And the pressure bearing down on John
is only going to get worse.
[ Hard rock blaring ]
Whooooo! Ledwon: Yeah.
Now we're talking.
There's a new face in the neighborhood.
Jim and ticia have connected through their jobs
at the trump hotel.
[ Both laugh ]
Ledwon: Jim and I had instant chemistry.
I liked my Jack straight-up cold.
He liked his beer and he likes to drink shots,
and we just had everything in common.
Mmm-mm-mm!
Mmm-mm. Mmm! Whoo!
Oh, this is great.
This is awesome. [ Chuckles ]
It's like -- [ Chuckles ] Whoo!
At this party, anything goes.
Yeah! Whoo! Whoo!
Almost.
Ledwon: Jim had told me
that he had a dispute with the neighbor next door named John.
Speaking with John was against the rules.
Hoo!
♪♪
You could see that the anger was building up.
I cannot remember what the issues were.
I just know that Jim despised John.
Narrator: And the feeling is mutual.
♪♪
Despite the sleepless nights and mounting tension,
neighbors on westport circle still have their routines.
For John, that means a daily visit to his mother.
John's mom relied on John for everything.
Every day -- every day he went and saw his mom.
Every morning --
Bring the dog, hang out with his mom, do whatever.
Narrator: But when Jim gets a dog of his own...
[ Rocco barks ]
...it completely throws John for a loop.
[ Rocco barking, growling ]
Ledwon: His name was Rocco.
Jim would leave Rocco sometimes outside the house.
Rocco would just run between the houses
and Rocco would bark all the time.
[ Barking, growling ]
Jim, get your dog! Get your dog!
Morning, John!
Jim: He's just playing!
[ Rocco barking ] Get your dog on a leash
or I'll shoot the damn thing!
John threatened Rocco which is Jim's pride and joy dog.
And then he says something about, "I'll shoot your dog."
That's the last thing you want to do!
[ Rocco barking, growling ] Rocco! Come here, boy.
Come here.
Good boy.
We knew that eventually something's going to happen
because John wouldn't let Jim alone.
Narrator: The daytime shouting match has faded.
It's a quiet night on westport circle.
The way all the families that move here like it.
Then, more noise.
[ Gunshot echoes ]
[ Dog barking in distance ] This time it's not music.
Rob.
[ Gunshot ] He's firing a gun back there.
That's not okay. [ Gunshot ]
[ Gunshot ]
[ Gun cocks ]
I got a call that night from John --
"hey, he's firing a gun in the backyard."
[ Gunshot ]
Narrator: Like the argument over the telescope,
not everyone buys this story.
John accused Jim of shooting guns in his backyard
and that was a lie.
He was very messed up.
Lopez-negrete: John claimed that Jim had shot his gun in the backyard,
but from reviewing all the evidence and the record,
it doesn't seem like there was much to support that claim.
[ Gunshot ]
Narrator: But John insists it did happen.
Just one more "he said, he said" in this festering war.
Once peaceful westport circle
is now riddled with tension and hate.
But John's not going anywhere.
[ Hard rock blaring ]
♪♪
He's lived here for decades.
And this is where he wants to end his days.
♪♪
This has to stop!
What are you doing here?
You're driving me crazy! It has to stop!
Get out of my yard.
Turn it down and stop! Or you're gonna get some!
And if John hadn't have come over uninvited,
it would never have happened.
[ Groans ]
[ Grunts ] [ Thud ]
[ Thud ] [ Grunts ]
[ Grunts ] [ Thud ]
[ Groans ]
[ Groans ] Ah!
[ Groaning ] Ughh.
Getting physical changes everything.
John, you coming out?
They both went into hate mode and that was it.
We got a problem!
♪♪
[ Grunts ] [ Thud ]
[ Grunts ] [ Groans ]
[ Grunts ] [ Thud ]
[ Thud ] [ Grunts ]
[ Grunts ]
I'm like, "call the police."
You know, get a restraining order.
Do -- you know, do stuff to keep you two apart.
If it's getting physical
that's definitely not a good thing.
Derek? Hey.
Derek!
John!
What happened?
Give me a hand, please.
Over here. Come on. Sit down.
[ Whispers ] Geez.
John was standing there with a bloody nose.
His face was swollen.
He just went crazy on me. [ Panting ]
I went to tell him to turn down his music and he just --
He attacked me.
[ Siren wailing in distance ]
Narrator: Tempers are running too hot.
This time police are summoned. [ Police radio chatter ]
John: He punched me first.
This gentleman right here?
That gentleman [Growls] right there.
He's gonna kill me. I don't --
Hey, hey. He threw the first punch!
Back to your home! The hell with you!
Narrator: Even for concerned friends,
it's impossible to say how the fight actually started.
[ Indistinct shouting ]
Jim said it was none of my business.
John wouldn't tell me the reason it happened either.
He just said, "he attacked me for no reason."
Which...
I don't believe that.
Narrator: Once again, everyone has a different version of the story.
Lolita: John came through the gate to the backyard
and he started, and I don't know what he said,
but he was bad-mouthing frank, his father,
and Jim told him to knock it off.
Don't be talking about my parents.
Dirty, rotten cheat! Just like your old man!
And he took a swing at Jim.
Well, you don't swing at Jim and not get swung back on.
You know what you did! Tell the truth!
You came into my backyard --
Back to your home! I'm not playing around.
Back to your home right now!
Sir, do you want to press charges?
Yeah.
You hear that? Back to your home. Right now.
Tell me what happened.
He had talked to someone from Metro
and was in the process of filing a restraining order.
Narrator: John's request for a restraining order
is never granted.
It almost seemed like it was not of importance
in law enforcement's eyes.
You know, neighbors get in arguments all the time.
This isn't a life or death situation.
Essary: You're no longer friends.
You don't talk to each other anymore.
That was the last straw according to John.
♪♪
After the beating took place John was pretty upset.
Up we go. Up we go.
[ Blows air through lips rhythmically ]
Hill: Considering John head basically built the neighborhood
where he lived, he didn't want to go anywhere.
All he had was Rosie and going and taking care of his mom.
Narrator: It's time the neighbors know John means business.
Just in case.
He proceeded to follow through
with getting his concealed carry permit.
[ Tapping ]
♪♪
Essary: He was afraid of Jim.
And he says, "he won't hurt me again."
That was his exact words.
John carried his pistol from that day forward.
Always had it with him and that was it.
♪♪
Narrator: As the street turns into a battleground
the rivals turn to their security cameras
to keep watch on each other.
Hill: And he made the comment that he never thought in his lifetime
from where that neighborhood had come from
to where he's at now
that he would ever need video surveillance at his home.
Narrator: In the midst of all the anger and antagonism,
happiness finds a home on westport circle.
[ Cheering ] [ Chuckles ]
What do you got for me, babe? Come on.
Alright!
Ledwon: When Jim came into our life,
it completed something that was missing.
Everyone was happy. I was happy and my daughter was happy.
So when I moved in with Jim, it was like a family.
You could tell that there was love in the house.
Oh, what a day this is gonna be.
We are gonna have a night tonight, hon.
I would say for about a month we were good
and then it felt like a prison.
Ledwon: Chrissy, come set the table.
Chrissy, set the table.
What's she doing back there? Your mom said set the table.
Chrissy, please.
Narrator: Jim's new life falls back on old habits
every night when we would get home after work,
Jim would make himself a drink.
If Jim wasn't drinking he was a wonderful person.
You got to keep stirring it. You're not doing it right.
When Jim would start drinking
everything about him would change.
He was very possessive and he was very controlling.
Narrator: But there's one person he still can't control.
Watch this, babe.
Uh, what are you gonna do?
Time for some music!
Come on, Jim.
What are you doing? [ Chuckles ]
The music would bother me after 9 o'clock at night.
And the more Jim would drink, the louder the music would be.
Come on. He's gonna love it.
Who doesn't like some music at night?
Watch this.
[ Chuckles ] [ Hard rock blaring ]
Ahhhh! How's that, banova? You like that?
♪♪
I'm just really upset and just sitting there knowing
that all I'm doing is drinking my life away.
♪♪
Come on. Drink something. You're so boring
since you stopped drinking.
That's when I decided to stop drinking.
That's when our relationship started to change.
You don't like it -- You can go inside.
I'm having a great ti--
Johnny and I are having a party tonight!
Johnny! How's the music, buddy?
Johnny! [ Slurring, speaking indistinctly ]
Narrator: For John the party is long over, and the worst is yet to come.
There was another incident between Jim and John.
In this case, Jim was outside his home.
It was late at night.
[ Engine revs, tires squeal ]
[ Tires screech ]
[ Engine revs, tires squeal ]
Rocco!
[ Whines ]
[ Breathing heavily ]
♪♪
[ Engine shuts off ] Jim: Hey!
What?!
What was that?! What was what?
You swerve at my dog again --
We've got a problem. Is that right?
You'll see what happens!
[ Breathing heavily ]
Get to steppin' or the next one kills ya.
[ Echoing ] I told you! He's getting worse.
All it takes is one person to make a bad decision.
[ Gun cocks ]
♪♪
Lolita: How are you supposed to feel
when someone points a gun at you?
Narrator: Fortunately both neighbors step back from the brink.
No-one is hurt.
Something's got to be done, officer.
Jim claims John tried to run his dog over.
[ Engine revs, tires screech ]
I came around my truck to talk to him.
He almost hit my dog.
I stayed on my side of the property line.
He's mad as hell. He's crazy. He pulls a gun on me!
With John pulling out his weapon
saying that if he doesn't get to steppin',
the next one will kill him --
Clearly Jim felt like he was in fear of his life.
Narrator: As usual, John's story is different.
He left my property. I went inside.
I didn't swerve at his dog. He's crazy.
I -- I wouldn't do that.
I pulled out and his dog was in the street,
but I -- I pulled out slowly and avoided the dog.
Of course John denied swerving at Jim's dog whatsoever.
I remember hearing about it and my initial thought was
there was no way John would do something like that.
No way.
You swerve it my dog again -- We got a problem!
Wh-- d-- get out of here!
You run over my dog -- You'll see what happens.
Lopez-negrete: John also explained that
beyond just having the prior violent altercation with Jim,
he felt justified in pulling out his weapon
because Jim was encroaching on his property.
Get off my property!
Now!
[ Breathing heavily ]
He left my property. I went inside. That was that!
♪♪
Despite Mr. Stapleton having cameras on his residence
they weren't actually pointed in the right direction,
so they weren't able to corroborate it
one way or the other.
Narrator: John also has security cameras,
but his footage can't provide clear evidence either.
I believe that if John was on his own property
and Jim came up screaming and shouting at him,
he pulled the gun out in self-defense.
When John pulled a gun on Jim and put it to his face,
it bothered me. It was just kind of scary.
That's all I can say.
Ledwon: I was scared. I was afraid.
Most people who would point a gun,
they're going to use it.
I started to rethink on why I was there.
♪♪
Pratt: I've watched a lot of crime TV shows
and you see stories of other people's neighborhoods,
but you just don't expect that it happens in yours.
♪♪
Narrator: The stress of living next to John
tears away at Jim's family life.
His inner demons make it worse.
Jim?
Just because you're not drinking doesn't mean I can't.
His way of coping with being scared
would be make himself a drink.
Where are you going? We're going to the store!
That's not safe. I'll go.
Come on!
I said I'll go!
♪♪
That was the final decision.
♪♪
When he had left the house I decided to go.
[ Knocks frantically ]
[ Dog barking in distance ]
[ Both breathing heavily ]
Please, let me use your phone. I need to get a ride.
Pratt: She knocked on her door in the middle of the night.
Said she needed to use the phone.
She seemed a little shaken up, I guess.
Thank you. Thank you.
[ Breathing shakily ]
[ Cellphone ringing ]
[ Voice breaking ] Hi. Can you come get me?
I couldn't take it no more.
I was protecting my daughter from him.
[ Insects chirping ]
♪♪
Hill: After the girlfriend moved out of Jim's house
he spiraled downhill even more.
Lolita: He went to work.
He was working at trump's towers
and one of his -- he thought was his good friend,
told the boss that Jim had been drinking
because he could smell it on his breath.
Narrator: Jim must undergo a mandatory drug and alcohol test.
The findings are private.
The outcome is not.
He got fired for failing the alcohol test
and he thought I was the one that had reported him.
And so they let him go.
Then, he just came home and started drinking
and that's when it all started.
He drank a whole weekend.
On this particular weekend he drank for 27 hours straight,
which is an awful long time.
Essary: Jim just kind of retreated into himself
and never came out
except to bother [Chuckles] John, I guess.
[ Thump ]
John was very on edge about the whole situation.
He'd said that yeah, he kept the gun next to his pillow.
Narrator: John claims Jim keeps tormenting him.
He was scared that something really bad was going to happen.
This one's for you, old man. [ Grunts ]
I got something for ya!
Narrator: Others say Jim never taunted his neighbor with verbal abuse
or threw rocks at his house.
Jim's stepmother says she told Jim to keep his distance.
I'd just tell him, "stay clear of him.
Stay clear of John, Jim. 'Cause it's not worth it."
Because John was the way he was and there was no changing him
right down your fat head, buddy!
Hey, Rob. Rob, listen to me. Listen to me. Okay?
Here's Johnny! It's getting worse.
[ Thump ] He's getting worse.
Rob... [ Thump ]
...you gotta get him out.
Well, this is what I started getting concerned.
John started getting a little bit more serious.
And this is the first time he says,
"Rob, one of us are going to end up killing the other one
if you don't get him out of here."
Well, someone's going to end up dead.
Narrator: Just when things are reaching a breaking point,
it looks like the feud might be over
when Rob puts the house up for sale.
Jim will be out soon.
John was very happy and he said, "thank you."
Thank you for, you know, little listening to me.
Thank you, you know for for understanding
where I'm coming from." I was very relieved.
It was getting stressful
ledwon: When Jim knew that the house was up for sale
he was very angry.
He felt like he was entitled to stay in this house
as long as he wanted to.
♪♪
I was afraid something bad was going to happen.
♪♪
Hill: I got up that morning just like every other morning,
made my coffee, got ready for work, and left.
So that morning I opened the front door and right away.
I could hear the music coming from across the street.
It was like loud, angry metal and so I knew that Jim
probably wasn't in a good place that day.
Ledwon: When I had gotten up
there was a few text messages on my phone sent from Jim.
Jim had said his problem with his neighbor's
going to be solved. He can't take it no more.
[ Cellphone chimes ]
No. No! That's what [growling] John wants!
Listen to me!
[ Exhales sharply ] This is going to end! Now!
The whole time I was with Jim all he did was talk
and talk and talk. When he sent those messages
I just figured, "it's just another thing
that Jim's doing to get attention."
May 7, 2015, I did my usual thing.
I got up. Turned the coffee on.
It was a beautiful day -- Sun shining.
Frank and I were eating breakfast and Jim came over.
He was hungover. He wasn't particularly really drunk.
He was hungover.
Narrator: Jim makes a startling confession at the breakfast table.
He has a gun stashed in his truck.
We didn't even know he had the gun.
Narrator: Frank wants him to hand it over for safekeeping.
Frank told him, "let's go get it."
Narrator: As Jim and frank retrieve the weapon...
[ Whining ]
...John is already outside --
Off to see his mother.
What are you gonna do? Pull out a gun again?
Do up our head.
Just shut up, Jim! You're out here. You're drunk.
You're yelling! Keep it coming!
Keep it up! Hey!
You've lost your mind, John!
Keep it coming! You shut up, too, bitch!
That's when he called me the "b" word
and Jim told him --
Don't talk to my mother like that!
I'm coming for you!
After the verbal incident we thought it was over.
Jim and frank went over to get the gun
to bring back to our house.
♪♪
[ Engine starts ]
♪♪
Narrator: On this beautiful spring morning
all the fear and anger reach a point of no return.
♪♪
Lolita: John had backed out his truck onto the street
like he was going to go down the street
but instead he whipped back in toward his driveway
and he took his gun and he started shooting.
[ Gunshot ]
I just never thought in a million years
that this would happen directly across the street from me.
[ Sirens wailing ] Narrator: In a few brief seconds
the world of westport circle is torn apart.
I saw John's truck
kind of half way out of the driveway
in the middle of the cul-de-sac
and it looked like his driver-side window was broken.
You know, immediately,
"oh, my god." You know? What happened?
Essary: Oh, I was horrified. I could not believe it.
I've never had anybody close to me be shot.
You know, it was crazy scary.
John suffered a shotgun wound to the face.
It wasn't looking good.
Narrator: Jim has also been shot in the chest and right forearm.
I was just a nervous wreck seeing that.
But I got on the phone real fast. I called 911.
After this shooting, Jim come over to our garage
and he said on the wall between the two houses --
John and our house -- Jim didn't say anything.
He just sat there waiting for the police.
Narrator: Minutes later
ambulances rush both John and Jim to the hospital.
The bullet hit about 3 to 4 inches from his heart.
So it was about 3 to 4 inches from him dying.
Narrator: Jim survives his wounds
and is soon transferred from the infirmary
to Clark county detention center.
Back at the hospital, John banova fights for his life.
Well, the first day I went and visited him in intensive care,
they said he was just in a coma anyway.
John was on life support for about a week.
I think they pronounced him brain-dead [sniffles]
And had to take him off life support.
[ Flatline ]
It just infuriated me
that would happen to such a sweet guy.
[ Voice breaking ] That's horrible.
I thought -- I just wanted it to be like
just a flesh wound or something and everyone is gonna be okay.
I was mad when it happened.
I was mad at Jim for a long time.
Narrator: Jim Stapleton is charged with first-degree murder.
In court his lawyer argues self-defense
and turns to Jon bon banova's home security footage
for support.
♪♪
The video cameras from John's home established conclusively
that John was the person who fired the first shot.
Jim was holding the shotgun
and it was pointed at the ground.
He raised it in response to John
accelerating towards Jim and frank
and pointing his gun at Jim and frank.
Narrator: The prosecution paints an entirely different picture.
They contend Jim planned the attack the night before
when he turned off his security cameras.
He'd been drinking all night long.
His music was playing super, super loud.
Narrator: They further claimed the text Johnson ticia
prove he was lying in wait for John that terrible morning.
There are factors that weigh against Jim,
especially the text messages
and the history of altercations between them.
Narrator: There's also a neighbor who reported to police
that she heard frank trying to calm Jim down.
Frank: [ Echoing ] Stay calm, Jim.
Stay calm?! [ Gunshot ]
From the state's perspective,
seeing that Jim had at that point retrieved the shotgun
and had it in his hand,
Mr. Banova could have felt in fear
and that could have explained
why John felt the need to fire first.
He came around the corner with the gun like this.
No questions of what he was doing.
You know when somebody's coming to hurt you.
You know it. Everybody's instincts know it.
And there was nothing peaceful about it.
Lopez-negrete: Ultimately, we didn't proceed to trial.
We were able to reach a resolution
where Jim would plead guilty to second-degree murder
with use of a deadly weapon.
So he was able to avoid the prospect of losing
on a first-degree murder charge.
Narrator: Two years after the murder
Jim Stapleton is sentenced to a minimum of 14 years in prison.
The court didn't see it the same way we did.
The text messages is what really did it for him.
When I found out that Jim had shot John,
I was in a state of shock. I felt guilty.
I could have called somebody but I didn't believe him.
Just knowing that I put my daughter in danger --
There's no words to express.
I mean, that could have been me or my daughter that he shot.
Lolita: Life in the neighborhood wasn't the same.
They quit talking to frank and I
because they blamed us for Jim's doing.
Frank's health declined.
Frank just kind of became a hermit.
Narrator: 10 months after the fatal shots were fired
frank Stapleton passes away.
With the tragic loss of two beloved neighbors --
Westport circle is forever changed.
Hill: After the shooting
everyone kind of became a little more wary.
I noticed that porch lights were on a lot more.
Completely changed the whole dynamic of the street.
Absolutely.
Pratt: We moved out of the neighborhood in march of 2018.
As a father, you don't want to raise your kids
where, you know, there's been murders and such. So.
I still live there and I'll live there till I die.
It's my home.
That morning John was just going on his regular routine
to his mom's.
I talked to her and she looked like death.
You know, like, you're not supposed to lose a child.
For me to see that in her eyes was devastating for me.