SHINER, Texas – Just days after a Shiner father beat another man to death for allegedly molesting his 4-year-old girl, residents of the small town were expressing support for his actions.
It happened Saturday on the father’s rural property.
Investigators said the dead man had been hired to help the father with his horses and was at the property for a barbecue when he allegedly tried to molest the child.
But the father found out, investigators said he hit the 47-year-old man over the head so hard, the man died from his injuries.
Lavaca County Sheriff Micah Harmon said he doesn’t anticipate arresting the father, because nothing suggests the beating death happened for "any reason other than what he told us."
A grand jury will have to decide what, if any, charges will be filed against the dad.
But many Shiner residents told KHOU 11 News they didn’t think he should be charged at all.
"I don’t think he should be arrested for it. I don’t think any charges should be filed," one resident said.
"Everybody’s been talking about the same thing, and they would’ve did the same thing," another said.
"He got what he well deserved," another resident said of the dead man.
Sheriff Harmon, who is also a dad, would not say if he thought charges should be filed.
As of Monday afternoon, the names of the father and the victim had not been released.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
