A Milwaukee County judge has postponed a decision on whether to bypass a trial in the civil case of John Henry Spooner, who shot and killed his teenage neighbor as the boy's mother watched in horror.

John Henry Spooner wrote a letter to his local newspaper on the day he was convicted of killing his teenage neighbor, wondering whether he got a fair trial and asking for help in getting the truth out.

A Milwaukee man knew exactly what he was doing when he accused his teenage neighbor of burglary and then fired a bullet into the boy's chest, jurors decided Friday. The verdict essentially guarantees that 76-year-old John Henry Spooner will die behind bars.

Against the wishes of counsel, 76-year-old John Spooner took the stand Thursday afternoon during a trial to decide whether he was mentally ill when he shot and killed 13-year-old Darius Simmons in May 2012.

In defending a 76-year-old man seen shooting and killing a teenager in footage from his own surveillance camera, defense attorney Frank Gimbel said he had no choice but to concede that his client was guilty of homicide.

The trial for a Milwaukee man accused of gunning down his 13-year-old neighbor whom he suspected of stealing opened Tuesday with prosecutors promising to show jurors a video of the slaying.

Jury selection began Monday in the case of a 76-year-old white man charged with gunning down a 13-year-old black boy last year on a Milwaukee sidewalk over a theft allegation.

A 75-year-old Milwaukee man will stand trial in the fatal shooting of his 13-year-old neighbor.