[narrator] A new neighbor can quickly become a new friend...
You should go introduce yourself.
Come over, I'll make you the best home-cooked meal you ever had.
See you at 6:00.
Kevin was a cool dude.
[narrator] But when small misunderstandings...
[beeping]
[narrator] ...fester into resentment...
You're parking on my land this whole time.
You are a pathetic loser!
[narrator] ...a peaceful community
spirals into intimidation and violence.
Listen up, jerk! That's my property! Got it?
He just wanted to make their life miserable.
[screams]
Let's settle this once and for all!
He told me, "I think this guy's gonna kill me."
Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
My heart was like, "Oh, [bleep]!"
[dispatcher] All available units, man down on Gilfeather Road.
[child speaking indistinctly]
[woman] Let go of her!
[man] I know what you did.
[woman] Stay out of my neighborhood!
[man] Stay away from my wife!
On the ground, now!
[woman screaming]
[narrator] Nestled in Vermont, Wardsboro is a small town,
priding itself as home to beautiful scenic views
and friendly hardworking folks.
Lot of hills, lot of countryside.
Not many people.
[Kevin Munson] It's a pretty town.
You know, set back in the... in the mountains.
[Tim Bills] There is a general store in town,
but no police department.
There is a volunteer fire department.
[narrator] Just outside of Wardsboro,
atop a hill surrounded by breathtaking vistas
is Gilfeather Road.
[James] It's a dead-end street.
Goes up the hill.
Not many homes on it.
And the further up the hill you go, the nicer the view gets.
[Laurie Gallagher] It was just perfect.
It just feels right to be with the nature
that's all around you. It's gorgeous.
[narrator] This charming remote neighborhood
is where Kirby Staib and his parents,
Don and Joan call home.
[Laurie] Kirby's family owned about 12 to 14 acres
on that road.
It was part of an old apple orchard.
Okay, you're okay.
[narrator] With them on the farm is Pete,
their beloved horse.
Now, Kirby, don't be overfeeding him.
Pete's growing. He needs it.
[Joan chuckles] Just you're feeding him...
-[Donald] He's looking good. -[Joan] Yeah.
So, Kirby's horse Pete was pretty good sized horse...
-[Joan] See you later, son. -Yeah. Take it easy.
[Tim] ...that is always pretty calm.
[narrator] Joan works at a gas station
and Don has retired after running his own business.
[Laurie] Joan was born and raised in Wardsboro.
She was very much an earthy woman,
very much into her family.
[Tim] Don was a contractor
doing excavating work.
I would describe Kirby as a pretty big guy.
He was a hard worker,
and he always had a smile on his face.
[narrator] Kirby works on a road crew
for the Vermont Agency of Transportation.
He keeps his work vehicles at home.
Directly across the street was a parking lot
that we would all park our vehicles
because our driveway
was kind of small at that time.
[narrator] The house next to the Staibs had long been for sale.
Until now.
Hey, looks like somebody finally bought that place.
[Kirby chuckles]
You should go introduce yourself.
-Yeah? -Yeah.
Let's go!
Come on! Come on, now.
Go on up to the house. Let's go!
Howdy, neighbor.
I've come to say hi. Kirby Staib.
I live, uh, just over here.
Nice to meet you. Kevin Parker.
So, Kevin had about a good ten acres on his side of the property.
[narrator] Kevin Parker lives alone and works in construction.
[Laurie] Kevin was single as far as I know.
He was a carpenter
with a local carpenter company in the area.
He had two dogs.
He cared for his dogs very deeply.
[narrator] Kirby quickly discovers
a kindred spirit in his new neighbor.
-You pack? -14 Ruger.
One of my favorites to go hunting with.
[James] As a tradition for every fall,
you know, people, they enjoy hunting.
I'm a bit hunter and fisherman myself.
Are you now?
Kirby loved being in the woods hunting.
Tell you what, when you're done here
why don't you come over?
I'll make you the best home-cooked meal you ever had.
-That sounds nice. -Six o'clock sharp.
-See you at six. -All right.
[narrator] The two men become fast friends.
I like fishing.
[Tim] When Kevin first moved to the area,
Kevin and Kirby were good friends
and used to hunt together and fish together and...
Nice to be out there.
...do fun things together.
I can't believe I missed that deer.
I think you did on purpose.
[Laurie] Kirby liked the act of hunting
but to shoot something to kill it,
I think he was very hesitant about it.
He did it for the meat.
Your folks told me the first time
you shot a deer, you cried like a baby.
Yeah, on the first time I shot a bear I did it with a handgun.
Could you do that?
But you probably cried after that, too.
Shut up.
-I'll give you something to cry about. -Come on...
How is that horse of yours anyway?
Petey? Good.
[narrator] Kirby and Kevin enjoy the good times together...
What are we gonna do tomorrow?
[narrator] ...unaware of the hell that will soon unfold.
Hunt duck.
What are you looking at?
This has to stop!
I just want you to throat punch him.
The situation that occurred broke my heart.
[narrator] One evening as Kevin tucks in after a hard day's work...
-[vehicle beeps] -[narrator] ...he's jolted out of his slumber.
[beeping continues]
[James] There was a beeping that was going on
that irritated Mr. Parker,
would be at various times,
that wouldn't be a working man's schedule
so it might be late at night.
[beeping continues]
I could see that being frustrating.
-[exhales] -[beeping continues]
[narrator] Kevin goes out to find the source of the noise,
and discovers it's coming from Kirby's truck.
Kirby always parked across the road from where he lived.
And Kevin owned the property.
[beeping continues]
[Laurie] Kirby had gotten this new truck,
and he brought it home,
and when he went to back up
that damn beeping stuck and it would not go off.
[beeping continues]
Hey, Kirby, you woke me up, man!
You have any idea what time it is?
Kevin came out and was screaming to Kirby
to shut the effing truck down,
and how effing there he... he is sleeping,
he's got things he's got to do.
Sorry about that. Came from the factory that way.
I don't know if there's anything I can do about it.
[beeping continues]
Kirby tried everything.
We troubleshot, we looked online.
There was nothing we could do to shut this damn thing off.
It was really annoying.
Take it to a mechanic or something.
So the one thing we decided was to rip the battery out, shut that damn thing down.
It got fixed. It was no big deal.
Why do you have to park your trucks here anyway?
Isn't there somewhere else you can put 'em?
Always parked my trucks here.
It's never been a problem before.
I don't wanna be out here with you again.
He added unnecessary stupidity
to this situation that we are trying to fix to begin with.
[narrator] The next time Kirby parks on his land,
Kevin has a message for him.
Mr. Parker told Mr. Staib that he didn't want
those vehicles parked there anymore
indicating that it was his property.
You've been parking on my land this whole time
and I want you off.
He told to Staibs to get the hell off
his property that he never agreed to that.
What?
You heard me just fine.
I want the trucks gone! This is trespassing!
Now, hold on.
You can't just kick me out.
At least give me sometime to find a place to park.
You're out of time.
Get the trucks out of here. Now!
Mr. Parker would conduct himself in a manner that
he may not recognize as threatening
but other people are feeling threatened.
[narrator] When Kirby doesn't move his vehicles fast enough,
Kevin sends him a reminder.
Kevin had left a message on Kirby's voicemail.
It was unwarranted and unnecessary.
Kirby, it's Kevin.
Listen up, jerk!
It's my property and I want your truck off my property, today!
You got it?
You could tell Kevin was mad and things had gotten worse
for him to say something like that.
[narrator] Kevin soon lays down a row of boulders
to make sure Kirby will never trespass on his land again.
Mr. Parker took it on himself to make it impossible for him to park there,
just to be an irritant towards Mr. Staib.
I guess Kevin actually built the stone wall
to stop the Staibs from parking there anymore.
I think the wall that Kevin built
was reasonable.
[narrator] Kirby disagrees.
I see. That's how you treat a friend, huh?
This is my property, and I'm doing what I want with it.
[Laurie] This isn't the Kevin I know. This Kevin in my mind
was a cool dude. He was quiet.
We all waved to each other.
But it's like it stopped.
...somewhere else you put your car...
-I got nowhere else to park the trucks, huh? -[both continue indistinctly]
[narrator] Before long, a small issue between friends
will tear this quiet neighborhood apart.
Oh, my God!
[screams]
I'm calling you out, Kevin!
Let's settle this right now!
The situation was escalating, getting more dangerous.
Yeah, this is how you treat your friend, huh?
[David] They've been parking there long before
this guy ever shows up.
Kevin bought this property
and now wants to make all these changes.
I asked you nicely not to park on my property
and you kept doing so.
So I put some rocks down.
I got nowhere else to park 'em.
Just...
[David] Kirby was upset.
[narrator] Kevin Parker and Kirby Staib's feud
is set aside when Kirby's girlfriend moves in.
[Laurie] Throughout the years, you know, Kirby and I were just friends.
But we morphed from friends into something more.
-[Joan] Hey. -[Donald] Laurie...
-[Laurie] Hi. -[Donald] ...welcome to our home.
-Oh, thank you. -[Joan] All set up for you.
-Aw, thank you so much. -You're welcome.
Kirby even made room in the closet.
[narrator] Laurie spends her days
working at both the market and a hospital.
[Laurie] Kirby was like this sweet-sweetie,
and I was like this crazy nut
from New York, you know?
We just matched, where he was soft, I was rough,
and we balanced each other out.
It was awkward for me to have to,
you know, having dinner with Kirby and his parents,
going shopping with Kirby and his parents.
-Let's go get some food. -[Donald] Yeah.
-[Joan] Okay. -What's for dinner...
[Laurie] It ended up just being fun
that if they didn't come it was weird not to have them.
[narrator] In need of a new parking spot for his work vehicles,
Kirby gets creative.
[Laurie] As Kirby was trying to build the new driveway,
he obviously needed to bring materials in to make the driveway wider.
He had dumped a dump truck of dirt.
[narrator] When Kevin gets home,
he isn't pleased with Kirby's solution.
What the hell?
That weren't the best spot to put the dirt.
You having a little vehicle trouble?
Did you put this trailer here?
Oh, yeah, I did. I gotta use the dirt
to make the new parking spot for my trucks.
Well, get rid of it!
I gotta get home!
I was washing dishes and all of a sudden I heard Kevin and Kirby screaming.
It's my property and I'm doing what I want with it!
You're only doing this to get back at me
for kicking you off my land!
News flash, Kevin!
Not everything's about you, man!
Kirby, move the dirt...
-now! -Get your truck out of here, pal!
So, I was like, "Oh, here we go."
Back that piece of junk off my property!
-[honking] -Damn, I'm not moving back!
Move the trailer!
So I stop doing dishes, and I ran up the hill.
Come on, how can I get through?
-Get the hell outta here! -Enough!
Basically I was like, the two of you stop. I'm done.
Kevin, go home!
And he just drove away.
He was never disrespectful to me.
Kirby...
let's go, okay?
Look...
You got an angry neighbor at you.
This shouldn't be happening out on a dirt road.
[narrator] Laurie has an idea
of how Kirby should handle Kevin.
Stand up for yourself!
Next time he comes at you like that,
I just want you to throat punch him.
Enough of this crap.
This just keeps happening.
I was trying to push Kirby to fistfight this guy
'cause I figured if once Kirby,
he just beat him up
maybe he would just leave us alone.
Nah, I can't do that.
[sighs]
Kirby was a gentle giant not looking for trouble.
[Laurie] Just give it to him.
Kirby wasn't the type to wanna start a fight
or do anything harmful to Kevin.
[narrator] Yet Kirby doesn't like the changes he's seeing
in his once good friend.
Kirby was very frustrated with Kevin
and the things he kept doing.
[narrator] Kevin is determined to stand his ground.
My understanding was
there was a fair amount of actions on both parties
that were not necessarily
the most pleasant or the most neighborly,
and it would just be one person would irritate the other.
[narrator] One morning, Kirby finds a nasty surprise waiting for him.
[Laurie] There were all these screws and nails
and little pieces of sharp metal in our bottom driveway.
[David] I told Kirby make sure you send
this information, these pictures
to the state police if you file a complaint
because this needs to be seen.
Yeah, I wanna report someone put nails and screws all over my driveway.
Yeah, I know who did it.
[Kevin] Being that Kevin was in construction,
Kirby felt the nails belonged to Kevin.
I think it was definitely deliberate.
[exhales deeply]
[narrator] A police report is made.
But without evidence tying Kevin to the crime,
there's not much authorities can do.
[James] We're impartial fact finders.
It's what we can prove, it's not what we know.
[Kevin] Good boy. Good boy.
[narrator] Soon, it's Kevin's turn to complaint to authorities
when he finds a calling card from Pete the horse.
Pete get out of his pasture all the time.
Damn it, Kirby!
Come, clean up after your horse!
See how funny you think this is
when you get a visit from the cops.
[Tim] Kevin was mad.
There was manure on the side of the road
or on Kevin's property,
but Pete meant no harm.
[narrator] Law enforcement doesn't act on the grievance,
so Kevin gives Kirby a piece of his mind as he cleans up.
Was it worth it, Kirby,
letting your horse out just to tick me off?
[Tim] He probably felt Kirby was letting him out for a reason
which I don't think the Staibs were.
It's just Pete's nature.
But I think it was something Kevin could add to the list
and be against the Staibs one more way.
[narrator] Pete's mess maybe unsightly,
but what Kirby and Laurie soon discover is horrific.
[screams]
[Laurie breathes heavily]
We found animal carcasses on our property.
I, you know, couldn't tell you how they got there,
but they were there nevertheless.
Gotta do something about this!
-Come on. -Call the cops.
Kirby's finding dead animals on his property
and it probably makes him wonder,
is that gonna be my head on the chopping block next?
That's a little sick.
[narrator] Kirby takes the rotting creatures as a serious warning.
I wasn't shooting at Kirby.
[clicks]
He told me a few times...
But if he comes on my property again...
"I think this guy's gonna threaten me...
-...I will! -...or kill me."
We were getting so many calls from both sides.
We wanted to be able to get together
and have one trooper have the case work.
[narrator] The state's attorney assigns
Trooper James Matthews to the feud
hoping he can settle things down.
It's not to be.
-I'm sorry but there's nothing I can do. -[Kirby] What do you mean?
What do you mean there's nothing you can do?
This guy's terrorizing us.
Just don't have any proof tying Kevin to this.
How is that even possible? This is ridiculous.
Who else would be doing it?
It's difficult when people have unrealistic expectations
of what the police can or can't do.
[Laurie] It's just too much.
Look, I know these things can be tough, okay,
but I'll be personally keeping an eye on the situation.
[Laurie] Oh, yeah.
We need to be able to document what was happening.
Who else would do this?
[James] The more that we have documented,
the more of a reasonable case that we can bring.
-[Laurie] Yeah. -Yeah, thanks.
[tires screech]
[narrator] According to Laurie,
soon after, she's in town shopping
when she encounters Kevin.
I had Kirby's truck and I was at the local store
and Kevin had pulled up next to me.
[clears throat]
He was like [clears throat] making that noise.
[clears throat]
What are you doing?
I looked over, I leaned, I was...
"What are you gonna do?"
And he was gonna spit,
he had to swallow that funk.
He was so angry.
He slammed the door and ran inside.
I stayed. I wasn't going to gonna go in the store with him.
When I went inside, the girl's like,
"Holy [bleep]! He hates the Staibs.
He hates you and the Staibs. He hates you guys."
I was like, "What the hell?"
[narrator] Kirby Staib and his family
feel they're constantly being harassed.
Kirby, I think he did feel hopeless like,
where do I turn, what do I do?
[narrator] And Kevin isn't letting go of his grudge.
[Laurie] After Kevin built himself up to this frenzy,
he just wanted to screw the Staibs.
[narrator] The Staibs decide to go on a camping trip
to escape the toxic atmosphere...
-[Donald] The weather was perfect, wasn't it? -[Joan laughing] Yeah.
[narrator] ...and it's not a pleasant homecoming.
-[Laurie] It was the best. -[Joan] You did!
Good for you!
Oh, my God!
There was over 80 bullet holes in the roof, in the siding,
and then in the windows,
and if any of the Staibs were home at that point,
Don would have gotten shot
because there was a bullet hole
through the window, into the back of Don's chair.
[Laurie] Ah...
What kind of a person would do something like this?
Kevin. He has to be behind this.
-[Laurie exhales] -How lunatic!
-What a mess! -[Joan exhales]
[Tim] I was concerned for Kirby and his parents
after hearing about the gunshots.
This has to stop!
[Kirby] Let's go to the house.
This is scary.
[Laurie] Kirby's gonna take care of it.
Hi. Kirby.
The guy shot at the damn house.
That's a pretty high escalation.
Yeah, I know who it was.
[narrator] Once again, law enforcement
is summoned to Gilfeather Road.
What do you know about their roof getting shot up?
Nothing at all.
Uh...
I messed with Kirby a little bit
but I can't tell you anything about shooting up the roof.
I can't tell you anything about that.
[James] We have to have some element of proof.
If you had a dark figure
with a rifle shooting at your house at night,
well, that's a little bit better
than just seeing bullet holes.
You know what I'm saying,
"Well, they came from Mr. Parker."
You know, we can't keep coming out here all the time.
You both need to learn how to get along.
I get it.
[Tim] I can almost remember them saying, you know,
"You guys gotta grow up.
We can't be up here every five minutes."
You gotta tell that to them.
I'm over here minding my own business.
[James] They do all kinds of things to irritate the neighbors...
-Have a good day, sir. -You, too.
[James] ...'cause they know, especially, when now the police get called
they've accomplished exactly what they set out to do... irritate you.
And so it's like a child.
[state trooper] We got no proof.
So, Kevin wins again. That's what you're saying?
I'm sorry.
[Laurie] Kirby always asked for help,
but I don't know why nobody helped.
[bleep] police couldn't do anything even if they wanted to.
[narrator] Kirby is so fed up and angry,
he decides to confront his tormentor.
[Kirby] That's it.
I guess Kirby was just sick off the little needling.
I think he's just like, "You know, Laurie,
maybe it'll help. I don't know."
I've had it with you, Kevin!
Let's do this! Let's settle this right now!
Come on, Kevin!
So he went and said, "Why don't you come out on the road
and we'll be done with this?"
Give him a good pounding!
I'm right here!
[Laurie] Because at that point we were done.
I'm sick of you doing crap behind my back!
Let's settle this once and for all!
[narrator] Kevin doesn't take the bait.
Right here, Kevin!
[Laurie] We could have guaranteed the fact that
if Kirby had made a move, Kirby would've went to jail.
Let's finish this right now!
Stop it! You stay away from Kevin.
You hear me?
Now come in the house, both of you,
and help me with dinner.
[Laurie] Joan, who was like the rock of the family to keep everybody in line,
she took no crap.
[narrator] Kevin may not want a direct confrontation,
but the conflict is far from over.
[James] I recall several times Ms. Gallagher making
complaints about erratic behavior
that would be concerning, alarming for someone to do.
You know, maybe standing in his yard staring at her.
[narrator] Laurie refuses to be a victim.
What are you looking at, Kevin?
Knock it off or I'm gonna come over there
and I'm gonna kick you in the crotch!
He would always just walk away.
[narrator] Soon, another source of aggravation
-is just around the corner. -[gunshots]
My God.
-I'm calling the cops this time. -Don't call the cops...
-Don't call the cops, Mama... -No, I'm calling...
He was shooting guns to upset my animals,
to rile us up. This was daily.
-Don't do it. -[gunshots continue]
[narrator] Kirby is livid.
-[gunshots continue] -Kevin!
You mind easing up on the target practice?
You're scaring my mother!
[Kirby mumbles indistinctly]
You know who you are?
You're a pathetic loser!
[narrator] According to Laurie,
the confrontation takes a violent turn.
[gunshot]
[Laurie] Joan doesn't know what to do.
Don's upstairs looking out of the window
because Kevin kept shooting down at Kirby.
It was escalating.
It was getting worse and worse and worse.
So, I was at work and Joan called me
frantic, oh, God's sake, Kevin's shooting at Kirby, I've to come home.
Uh, Joan?
That lunatic next door is shooting at him. You better come home!
I'll be right there.
So, of course I raced home.
[siren blaring]
[narrator] When Laurie arrives, law enforcement
including a SWAT team are already on the scene.
[James] This dispute between Mr. Parker and Mr. Staib,
firearm was involved
and so all hands on deck responded.
[Laurie] I drive past the barricade and speed up the hill.
There's a cop flying up behind me 'cause I
probably shouldn't had went through the barricade.
[crying] Oh, my God.
When I get there, I see Kirby.
Kirby is pure white and he's crying,
and he is rocking and he is panicking
and he is repeating himself.
[crying]
Oh, my God!
Baby, it's okay.
[crying] Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
[Laurie] I don't know how Kevin missed him
'cause Kevin is a marksmen.
You're a loser!
[Laurie] I was gonna just assume he didn't really want to shoot Kirby.
He just wanted to scare Kirby at that time.
I wasn't shooting at Kirby,
but if he comes on my property again,
I will!
[James] During that call, Mr. Parker had threatened Mr. Staib saying,
something along the lines of, you know,
if you step on my property again, I'm gonna shoot you.
[narrator] With no evidence, police refuse to arrest Kevin.
This is outrageous.
How can he get away with almost killing Kirby?
It would help if you got it on camera.
Okay? You should think about installing a security system.
[narrator] Kirby and Laurie take the officer's advice.
We got a high-end security system.
We got the exact same one that the banks use.
[narrator] But Kirby thinks it will take more than cameras
to protect himself.
He bought that little .380 pistol.
He was nervous. Scared enough to carry that,
and have it concealed.
Kirby watched his back everywhere we went.
[narrator] The entire Staib family is extremely anxious.
[Tim] So, knowing more and more
what Kirby would tell us or show us,
I did feel worried and scared and just think,
"This guy is a wacko."
[narrator] And Kevin is very protective of his personal space.
[James] I can speak to your typical Vermonter,
they don't want you on their property.
They wanna be left alone.
If you violate those two things,
you might have a problem on your hands.
[narrator] According to the Staibs, the torment continues.
[Laurie] Kevin would come home playing on the horn, what have you.
He would slow down, roll the window down
and yell out.
Hey, Joan, suck my [honks]!
[narrator] One thing is clear,
Kevin is letting his neighbors know exactly how he feels.
[James] There was a sign that Mr. Parker had put on his property
that said, "white trash go away!"
He would dump garbage on his property.
I'll take care of this.
I think his ultimate goal was just to piss the Staibs off.
I think he just wanted to make their life miserable,
and let everybody else know that he hated the Staibs.
[narrator] Kirby calls the police, again.
Can you get me Trooper Matthews?
[narrator] Yet the result is more disappointment.
What do you mean there's nothing you can do?
This is an eyesore.
[James] While it might be offensive to someone's sensibilities,
it isn't illegal.
He hasn't broken any laws.
It's his land that the signs and trash are on.
There's got to be something you can do.
Well, just try to ignore him, okay?
[narrator] Meanwhile, Kevin can't find any relief
from the ongoing dispute either.
[Tim] Pete the horse was getting out
and Kevin was frustrated.
Damn it!
Kirby Staib's damn horse loose again!
I'm sick and tired of this.
He would call the police.
You need to deal with it!
There you are, my little Petey.
[narrator] Later that day, when Kirby retrieves Pete,
he becomes convinced
Kevin has hit the animal with his truck.
That bastard!
I can remember Kirby saying he thought
Kevin had done something to the horse
because the horse was limping.
[Laurie] Again, he can't point fingers
but it left a dust spot on the horse's hind quarter,
an imprint of a bumper on my horse.
[narrator] Amid the continuing troubles,
Don Staib's health deteriorates.
Don was dying.
We put him at Grace Cottage. He was in comfort care.
[narrator] All the while,
the fighting between Kevin and the Staibs rages on with more complaints,
and no resolution from law enforcement.
Things were very uncomfortable and very escalating
and everybody was
beside themselves at the house.
I was born and raised up boys don't cry,
and to watch this big, burly dude break,
it was freaking killing me.
[narrator] With tensions simmering on both sides,
it's only a matter of time
before things finally blow over.
On October 18th,
Kirby gets home around 3:45 p.m.
Hey, Kirby.
Pete got out and did his business
in the property up the road, again.
Well, our horse got out and pooped on their lawn
and Kirby knew and Kirby
and people who own the property conversed.
Hey, it's Kirby.
Yeah, I'll be right over there.
[narrator] He goes to clean up after Pete,
and takes his weapon with him.
You know Laurie, I'm so happy you are with us.
[narrator] Around 4:00 p.m.,
Laurie and Joan are chatting inside the Staib house.
I'm sitting in the dining table
doing my thing, hanging out with Joan
and then we hear gunshots.
[gunshots]
Oh, my God.
It must be Kevin target shooting again.
[Laurie] The next thing I know,
the scanner goes off.
[Tim] So the police scanners are used in the smaller towns,
everybody wants to know what's going on.
[dispatcher] All available units,
man down on Gilfeather Road, shots fired.
[officer] 10-4.
My heart was like, "Oh, [bleep]!"
[Laurie] My first reaction,
"Oh, my God, Kevin hurt himself!
Let me get up there to see if I can help the poor kid,"
because that's not cool.
[narrator] Laurie wants to see what's going on,
but Joan fears for her safety.
Oh, no, no, no, wait, wait.
Wait. No, you're not going anywhere.
No. No, please.
Her and I actually got in an argument
about me going up there.
I was like, "I'm going, Joan,"
and she's like, "Don't you dare walk out that door."
If someone's hurt I wanna go. I wanna go and help, please.
No, please don't go.
-You got to stay here. It's gonna be fine. -I'll stay.
-Okay. -I'll stay.
So when she was on the phone, I snuck out.
[narrator] Laurie rushes to investigate.
No, Laurie!
[sighs]
Kirby!
Kevin, where are you?
As I'm walking up the road I saw Kirby's truck,
and when I turned,
I saw Kirby laying down.
So I ran up onto the grass where Kirby was on,
the adjoining property of Kevin's property.
And then I realized something's wrong.
Kirby? Kirby, get up! Kirby...
And Kirby was laying disheveled looking. He wasn't laying right.
[crying]
Please. Kirby, get up.
You're okay.
So, I'm going, "Kirby, get up." You know?
Kirby?
We live next door to a doctor.
I was screaming for the doctor that lives next door
to come out to help me.
Doc! Doc, help me!
Kirby's been hurt! [gasps, cries]
[narrator] At the same time...
He drew his pistol...
[narrator] ...Kevin is on the phone with police.
He was shooting at me! So I shot him!
[indistinct] throw my life away.
[James] He's making these utterances and saying,
"The rest of my life is over."
So, I ticked him off my land,
and ever since then, they have been harassing me!
What was I supposed to do?
[James] He's talking with the detective.
He's talking with the dispatcher,
and so it was determined that
Mr. Parker had shot Mr. Staib.
[narrator] Outside Kevin Parker's house,
state troopers and police gather
including Trooper James Matthews.
[James] When people are in that state of mind, they're totally unpredictable.
He can see all of us coming.
He could start firing at us, no problem.
He finally came out of the house.
He was taken into custody at that time.
Kevin Parker, you're under arrest.
Let's go.
[narrator] After he's taken into custody,
Kevin Parker tells his version of what transpired.
[James] We know that both men were armed.
Mr. Parker was walking down the road.
He sees Mr. Staib cleaning up after his horse.
You are pathetic, Kirby.
I'm so sick of your crap.
[James] He had mentioned that Mr. Staib had a weapon...
and that Mr. Parker shot Mr. Staib.
[gunshots]
[James] Because Mr. Staib was pointing a weapon at him,
Mr. Parker did not check on Mr. Staib
and after the shooting
immediately returned to his house
locked his weapon up
and called 911 to report what he had just done.
[narrator] Laurie isn't convinced
things happened the way Kevin says they did.
[Laurie sobs]
My personal outtake of what I saw,
how it looked and how it went down
is I believe that Kevin was waiting for Kirby to do this.
Hey, Kirby, beautiful day out here, ain't it?
It had to end somehow and this was how Kevin chose to end it...
to kill Kirby.
Days like these are made for hunting.
[gunshots]
[narrator] Kirby Staib was pronounced dead at the scene
after suffering three bullet wounds.
[James] The medical examiner's report
was, he had sustained injuries that were likely causing death
pretty quickly, within a matter of minutes.
[narrator] Regardless of how it happened,
Kevin Parker is charged in Kirby's killing.
[James] It was my understanding that
Mr. Parker wasn't held that night.
That he was questioned and released.
[narrator] Less than a week after the shooting,
Kirby's father Don Staib passes away at age 83.
There is a lengthy delay before Kevin finally stands in front of a judge.
[James] So the murder occurred in 2016,
and then the trial was in January of 2023.
There was a, quite a big gap in time there.
It's not generally how things work,
but we had COVID and we had the shutdowns,
screwed things up a little bit.
[narrator] The postponement lasts so long
that Joan Staib dies waiting as well.
Joan had passed of cancer.
She never get to see the trial.
[narrator] Kirby's surviving loved ones
anxiously await Kevin Parker's day in court.
[James] The investigation reveal that
there were five spend cartridges
that would have come from Mr. Parker's rifle.
There was no evidence that
Mr. Staib ever fired his weapon
at Mr. Parker.
There was not a bullet present in the chamber
of Mr. Staib's gun.
But Mr. Parker was found not guilty.
[narrator] For friends and family of Kirby Staib,
the verdict leaves them bitter and angry.
[Tim] I was truly hoping that Kevin would be found guilty
with police evidence and everybody testifying.
[Kevin] I don't think he even spend one day in jail.
You know?
And people spend lot more days in jail
for lot less than this.
[narrator] After the fatal conflict,
Kevin Parker leaves Vermont
to begin a new life somewhere else.
I'm the one stuck surviving this hell.
This living nightmare,
while Kevin frolics in freedom
where he lives now with his family
and gets to do everything.
Kevin killed somebody and got away with it.
[Tim] He probably knows that he should've been guilty
and I think it's gonna bother him
the rest of his life.
[narrator] Kirby Staib's memory lives on with partner Laurie Gallagher
and others who cherished him.
[Laurie] Kirby was the most loving person.
You know, I still struggle and I get really upset.
[Tim] I like to remember Kirby as a good person.
A good hardworking person, a good friend,
a good co-worker,
and as people call him, a gentle giant.
[Laurie] Kirby could have done really well
with having children of his own and,
you know, giving the love that he had.
I lost everything. I lost my future.
[narrator] Next time on Fear Thy Neighbor...
Oh, we were more than excited to move in.
I don't think anyone in this neighborhood
expected things to escalate the way that they did.
You think we're pieces of crap.
Stay away from my daughter.
He's a perv!
You want to be a sick [bleep]
I'm gonna show you a sick [bleep].
[over the phone] Somebody is going to get killed.
[sirens]