Gunshot Horror & ‘Blood-Curdling Screams!’ Tim McGraw Named In Brutal Murder Case
Jan. 30 2017, Updated 2:42 p.m. ET
Tim McGraw has been dragged into a bloody murder case, RadarOnline.com has learned, after his own uncle gunned down an innocent man – and his dog!
Tim’s uncle, Dennis McGraw, unleashed the grisly slaughter almost 15 years ago, but now, RadarOnline.com has learned, he is due to be set free in just a matter of months.
Dennis shot his neighbor, Jason Garfield, in a horrific 2002 brawl outside their apartment building in Vallejo, California, after the two had argued nonstop for months.
A police eyewitness described how he heard “blood curdling screams” and the victim “begging for life” as he was riddled with bullets in the arm, hip, thigh, and head.
Fears For Rob! Kardashian In 24/7 Care After Medical Crisis
The officer who witnessed the last shot described it in court documents as a “hard contact wound, meaning the muzzle of the gun was pressed against the victim’s head.” But he couldn’t stop madman Dennis before he pulled the trigger to deliver the fatal bullet.
The officer then called for backup as he could not overpower the gun-toting maniac alone.
After his arrest, Dennis told police that he had bought his gun to protect himself from Jason, who lived in the apartment next to his. Even more disturbingly, he also admitted killing his neighbor’s dog a few weeks before the bloody attack, insisting it was “tormenting him with its barking.”
The dog’s owner suffered a similarly brutal fate: Court papers state Dennis had “intended to put as many round into the victim as he possibly could because he wanted to end it.”
“He told officers he intended to shoot the victim in the head, but he did not think it would kill him, as his rifle was only a .22 calibre,” the documents state.
Dennis was convicted of first degree murder in 2003 and given a sentence of 50 years to life. He spent time at San Quentin and Salinas Valley State Prisons before his conviction was overturned on appeal after he argued he had not received proper legal representation at trial.
However, his appeal trial was then suspended after he complained of hearing voices and seeing figures.
Before his conviction, Dennis had been on medication for mental health problems and he was eventually diagnosed as having schizoaffective disorder. As a result, he was moved to a mental health facility in 2006 and then to the secure Crestwood Behavioural Health Center in Sacramento, where he has remained since.
Then, in a major twist, Dennis was declared fit for retrial in 2012. Country star Tim and his baseball star father, Frank ‘Tug’ McGraw, Jr., were dragged into the proceedings from the start, when jurors were asked if they knew the famous men. Tim’s famous wife, Faith Hill, was left out of the query.
After two years in court, the new jury found Dennis guilty of a lesser charge: involuntary manslaughter.
Dennis’ lawyer, Daniel J. Russo, then withdrew the plea of insanity, leaving Dennis to be sentenced for involuntary manslaughter – which will make him eligible for parole by June.
Russo exclusively told RadarOnline.com, “The judge the District Attorney and I have all agreed his maximum exposure is 16 years.
“We’ll put the sentencing off until June, when he will have done all his time,” Russo revealed. “Then we will do a transition program from the law facility to the streets. I don’t know how long it will take, but they are already treating him. He will enter back into society.”
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Russo – who has represented Dennis since 2004 – also confirmed that his client had been disowned by his family even before he committed the murder, and neither Tug or Tim have ever reached out to help.
Are you surprised to learn about Tim’s bloodthirsty uncle? Let us know in the comments!
We pay for juicy info! Do you have a story for RadarOnline.com? Email us at tips@radaronline.com, or call us at (866) ON-RADAR (667-2327) any time, day or night.
