MADISONVILLE-Was it jealousy, a disagreement over who owned a car or self defense that led to the death of a Madisonville man in 2011?

That's what a Monroe County jury was tasked with figuring out when the trial of Ralph Hunt in the May 2011 killing of Gerald Strickland began Monday.

The fact that Hunt shot Strickland is not in dispute. The reason why is the question and the answer could either set Hunt free or send him to prison for the rest of his life.

Assistant District Attorney Paul Rush laid out the state's version of the case, saying Hunt is a man prone to violent actions and went to a home on Laurel Creek Road on May 31, 2011, with the intent to kill Strickland.

Rush said Hunt and Jackie Harris had been dating when she bought a car from Strickland in March 2011. The two broke up not long after and, according to Rush, Hunt became violent and jealous.

See full story in the Wednesday, March 13, edition of The Advocate & Democrat.