File photo Robert Lee Tennant (left) was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Thursday.

PARSONS – A Tucker County man was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Thursday after being found guilty of murdering his brother.

Robert Lee Tennant, 65, was sentenced by Judge James W. Courrier Jr. for the April 10, 2023, shooting death of his brother, Edward Tennant, during a land dispute on Smokehouse Road in Tucker County. He was sentenced to imprisonment.

After deliberating for about 30 minutes, the jury found him guilty of first-degree murder on October 24 and was shown no mercy by the jury.

The state was represented by Tucker County Prosecutor Savannah Hull Wilkins.

At Thursday’s hearing, Edward’s wife and grandson made victim impact statements, and a letter sent by his daughter, who lives out of state, was read to the court by Wilkins, according to the Tucker County Prosecutor’s Office.

Tennant spoke on his own behalf before he was sentenced, and according to the Tucker County Prosecutor’s Office, his brother “He should have been a better brother” And “He should have set a better example.”

Tennant, James Hawkins Jr. of Harrison County. and was represented by Brent Easton of Tucker County; These people claimed that the murder was not planned in advance and wanted their clients to be found guilty of intentional homicide, not first-degree murder.

At his sentencing hearing Thursday, Hawkins asked the court to show mercy despite the jury’s recommendation for no mercy, according to the Tucker County Prosecutor’s Office.

During the hearing, Wilkins identified 911 Center Director Daniel Hebb, Deputy Brent Gidley of the Tucker County Sheriff’s Department, Sergeant Victor Pyles of the West Virginia State Police, Dr. He called Jan Shapiro and Philip Cochran from West. The Virginia Police Laboratory will testify as a witness on behalf of the state. Tennant was called as a witness for the defense.

In his testimony during the trial, Tennant stated that he did not plan or intend to kill Edward, but instead only intended to confront him, according to the Tucker County Prosecutor’s Office. Tennant also said that while confronting his brother, he saw Edward looking at the machete found on Tennant’s John Deere tractor. That’s when Tennant said he pulled out his gun and shot his brother.

According to the 2023 criminal complaint, on April 10, 2023, officials with the Tucker County Sheriff’s Department and West Virginia State Police responded to a call reporting that Tennant had shot his brother over a land dispute.

When they arrived on scene, officers found Tennant across a stream in the area and ordered him to speak to them. Police said the man complied and was taken into custody immediately before being transported to the Sheriff’s Department Office for questioning.

According to the complaint, after being read his Miranda Rights, Tennant told police he saw his brother near the telephone pole and drove his John Deere tractor to where his brother was confronted and asked him what he was doing. He said the two argued about property, and he then pulled out his Smith and Wesson .22 revolver and shot his brother three times.

Tennant told cops he shot his brother because he was a cop. “Ah***” and he had been planning to do this for days. When police officers asked him if he checked on his brother after shooting him, he told them he didn’t. The complaint states that when police asked him if he was sorry for what he had done, he told them: “No, I got the monkey off my shoulder.”

Allegedly, after shooting his brother, Tennant went home and called 911 and explained what happened. When asked if he felt threatened or scared, he allegedly told cops he didn’t.