New information in deadly Bokeelia neighborhood dispute

LEE COUNTY, Fla.- WINK News is learning more about a neighborhood dispute that turned deadly.

John Marshall’s attorney tells WINK News his client lost several teeth when neighbor Ted Hubbell hit him in the head with a gun.

Attorney Robert Harris says that’s what forced Marshall to kill Hubbell in self-defense.

The scene played out on Wednesday and the list of unanswered questions remains long.

“There were tortoise holes on Mr. Marshall’s property and Mr. Hubbell wanted to protect those tortoise holes, and didn’t want anybody to build on that property,” said Harris.

“Ted would uncover the gopher turtle holes so that the turtles could live and this guy would come back and fill them in, killing the turtles,” said Gary Pierson, Hubbell’s friend.

The fight over the animals led to a deadly shooting.

“Mr. Hubbell approached Mr. Marshall in an attempt to apologize and then when Mr. Marshall let his guard down, Mr. Hubbell took out the gun and socked him in the face with it,” said Harris.

Harris says Marshall had some teeth and both thumbs broken.

“It appears as if Mr. Marshall grabbed Mr. Hubbell’s arm in an attempt to save his life from being shot and they went to the ground in a heap and a struggle and in fighting for his life, the gun went off,” said Harris.

Harris says Marshall then put his neighbor’s dead body in a car and drove it to his law office in downtown Fort Myers. Marshall has yet to be charged with any crime.