Man allegedly killed by neighbor in dispute over mowing grass

ROCKY TOP, Tenn. - A Tennessee woman says her fiance was killed by their next-door neighbor during a longstanding dispute that began over who was allowed to mow the grass between their homes.

In a video posted to Facebook this month, 43-year-old Davey Roach Jr. said he was concerned about his neighbor who always carried a gun and had a security camera surveying his house.

Roach complained to Rocky Top police saying George Patterson, 67, had repeatedly threatened his family. Four days later, Patterson shot Roach to death following another argument in front of their homes, authorities said.

Patterson must now undergo a psychiatric evaluation to see if he is fit to stand trial on a first-degree murder charge, an Anderson County judge ruled Tuesday.

Roach's fiance, Felicia Adkins, told The Knoxville News Sentinel a feud between the men had been escalating for more than a year after the two began fighting over a strip of land between their homes. Adkins said Patterson claimed the land and told Roach to stay off his property.

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Patterson admitted to firing his gun on Nov. 23, but says he aimed at the ground near Roach, according to an arrest warrant written by a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agent.

Patterson has a hearing scheduled for March.