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ST. GEORGE — A St. George man was found guilty of murder after he shot and killed his landlord who was protecting a woman whom the gunman had threatened.
An eight-person jury in 5th District Court reached the verdict after about three and a half hours of deliberations on July 17.
Joel Curtis Flores, 43, was found guilty of murder and felony discharge of a firearm, first-degree felonies; use of a firearm as a restricted person, a third-degree felony; and intoxication, a class C misdemeanor.
The jury decided he was not guilty of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony.
On Nov. 30, 2022, St. George police responded near 740 North and 1100 East on a report that Flores had pointed a cocked gun at a woman. Richard Harper, the landlord who made that initial report, was shot and killed by Flores before officers arrived.
The 57-year-old woman is a friend of Flores who would often visit him, but on this day she told officers he had "a different behavior than normal," according to court documents. The woman told officers it was normal for him to be intoxicated, but this day was different.
She reported that Flores pointed a gun at her chest after she told him she would not be able to see him as frequently.
The woman pulled the gun to the side and a struggle between the two began. The landlord noticed the fighting and called for Flores to let the woman go, charges say. She was able to get away and went to Harper's home.
The woman and Harper's 17-year-old daughter went to the back of the home and continued the 911 call that Harper had already initiated, according to charging documents. While on the phone, she reported hearing 12 gunshots.
Flores fired the gun through a glass door, hitting and killing Harper.
Jurors heard from both women during the trial and multiple officers testified as well.
Flores also testified on his own behalf during his case, which led to the judge deciding to admit some of his previous criminal history. When he was arrested for this incident, he had three warrants for his arrest and a recent domestic violence conviction.
The trial for Flores was delayed multiple times due to him refusing to come to pretrial hearings.
Flores is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 3.
