Video: Man ends up dead in fight with neighbor

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RAINIER, Wash. – Four years after a man was shot and killed by his neighbor in what police say was a case of self-defense, the shooter will have to pay the victim's family more than $4 million.

It all started with a neighborhood feud between Donald Skewis and Scott Keith.

A sign on Skewis' property read "No Retards No (N-word) No Jews. You will be shot."

Keith thought it was aimed at his family.

The feud came to a head in July 2004 when Skewis shot Keith, who was armed with a baseball bat, on the road outside Skewis' home.

Keith's widow, Veronica, says she was stunned when the Thurston County Sheriff's Office quickly ruled it a case of self-defense.

"It's like someone ripped my heart out," said Veronica.

Last week, a Thurston County jury found fault with the sheriff's investigation and awarded Keith's widow and three children a nearly $4.5 million dollar judgment against Skewis.

"They answered unanimously that it was not in self-defense," said James Beck, the Keith family's attorney.

Jurors determined that Skewis waited more than 20 minutes after shooting Keith to call 911. The jury also noted inconsistencies in Skewis' story and the physical evidence.

Thurston County investigators stand by their findings.

"We did a thorough investigation of it. Obviously, at the end of the case when we referred it to the prosecuting attorney and had them reviewed it, that they didn't feel Mr. Skewis had committed a crime," said Chief. James Chamberlain, Thurston Co. Sheriff's Office.

KING 5 News could not reach Skewis' attorney for comment.

Skewis has since moved out of the neighborhood.