Trial set for man charged in killing of Lebanese neighbor

TULSA, Okla. (AP) – An Oklahoma man facing first-degree murder and hate crime charges in the fatal shooting of his Lebanese neighbor is set for trial this week.

Stanley Vernon Majors is accused in the killing of 37-year-old Khalid Jabara in August 2016. Prosecutors say Majors, who is now 63, killed Jabara after bombarding him with racial insults in a feud with Jabara’s family that lasted several years.

Majors previously pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and malicious intimidation and harassment, which is Oklahoma’s hate-crime law.

Majors’ attorneys have indicated that they will present a mental health-based defense, though Majors was previously found competent to stand trial.

Jury selection is set to begin Monday, and officials say the trial could extend into next week.