Phillip

As evidence of the intensity of the argument that night, the prosecutor pointed to a remark from the couple’s 22-year-old son, Phillip, who was home from college that summer and witnessed the shooting.

“I tackled him,” Phillip told police.

Talley underscored inconsistencies in the son’s account, including Phillip wavering on his claim that he saw his father fire the gun, and at one point saying he grabbed his replica sword only after the shooting.

“Much of what Phillip says is a nonissue,” Talley said.

Phillip said he reached for a replica historical sword as his parents’ quarreling grew more heated, because he was worried.