in Abbeville, a jury sentenced a man to death for gunning...

in Abbeville, a jury sentenced a man to death for gunning down two law enforcement officers in 2003 during a dispute about his family’s land.
Jurors sentenced Steven Bixby for the murders of Sgt. Danny Wilson and constable Donnie Ouzts. The jury had to choose unanimously to sentence Mr. Bixby, 39, to the death penalty or he would have been sentenced to life in prison.
In the land dispute, Mr. Bixby and his parents were upset that the state wanted a 20-foot strip of property near their home to widen a highway. The authorities said Mr. Bixby and his father, Arthur Bixby, 77, who is also charged with murder, threatened violence against any officer who came onto their land.
Sergeant Wilson was shot while standing on the Bixbys' front porch on Dec. 8, 2003. The authorities say Mr. Ouzts, who arrived to check on Sergeant Wilson after radio contact was lost, was shot as he stepped out of his patrol car. The Bixbys held off the police for 14 hours after the shootings.
His mother, Rita Bixby, 74, is charged as an accessory, had emphasized the constitutional right to protect property when she home-schooled him.
"It's a God-given right," Ms. Bixby said, "and it's also supported by state and United States law. If somebody is coming to destroy your property, you have the right to defend yourself."