BOISE, Idaho — Jed Earls, of Boise, was convicted by a jury on Thursday of second-degree murder in the shooting death of 22-year-old James "Matt" Cuellar.
Jurors deliberated for roughly seven hours before determining Earls was guilty of shooting and ultimately killing Cueller at a "gathering" at a Boise home on January 15, 2022, according to the Ada County Prosecutor's Office (ACPO). Earls was convicted following a 12-day jury trial.
In a 2022 interview with KTVB, Cueller's sister, Maribel Garcia, said her brother was shot after being bullied because of his appearance.
"My brother was born with some birth defects that caused him to look physically different," Garcia told KTVB. "My brother was sticking up for himself, and basically told that guy like 'hey you don't know me, why would you ask me those kinds of things, or even think that was OK to say to somebody?'"
Garcia said the argument escalated and Earls pulled out a gun and shot her brother in the chest.
Officials determined that a bullet had severed Cuellar's spine, leaving him in critical condition before ultimately succumbing to his injuries six days later on January 21.
Earls was arrested at the scene and booked into Ada County Jail on aggravated battery charges. After Cuellar died at the hospital, the charges were upgraded to second-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony.
"Life can change in the blink of an eye," Garcia said. "This is the result of bullying, plain and simple. Do better. Be better."
Earls' sentencing is scheduled for July 29, 2024.
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