PORTLAND (WGME) – A Mexico man has claimed self-defense in the shooting death of his stepson over the weekend.
The victim's family has now come forward to disagree with the self-defense claim.
"I can't wrap my mind around this,” cousin Chelsea Gladu said. “I can't stop thinking about it."
Nicholas Trynor's family says they still can't believe it.
"She just started crying,” sister Kaylee Trynor said. “She goes 'Nicholas is gone. He's dead.' And I was like 'What?' And she's like 'Tom shot him.'"
Tom Tellier is now charged with murder in the death of his own 27-year-old stepson.
In court documents, Tom Tellier claimed Nicholas Trynor would threaten him at knifepoint and threaten to burn the house down.
"Nicholas, he had a mouth,” Kaylee Trynor said. “But so did Tom. And they would go back and forth and back and forth. And they'd both say things they didn't mean."
On Saturday, Tom Tellier told police Nicholas Trynor became enraged, so he grabbed his shotgun to get him out of the house.
He then told police he saw Nicholas Trynor coming toward him, felt threatened, "fired two shots at Nicholas and that he couldn't tell if Nicholas had a weapon in his hands."
"I don't buy it at all. I don't know if you've seen pictures of my brother. My brother's a bean pole,” Kaylee Trynor said. "Scrawny little guy. Tom's this big six-foot Army vet. I don't think Tom thought Nicholas was a danger, at that moment, at least, you know."
Neither does Nicholas Trynor's mother, Jessica Tellier, who was outside when she heard the shots.
In court papers, she told police her son had "anxiety, depression, anger issues and ADHD," and that "when Nicholas got mad, he'd hit things or make threats."
But she also told police she "didn't believe Nicholas was capable" of killing anyone.
Tom Tellier's ex-wife disagrees.
"He had to have felt threatened or pushed to the breaking point," Tom Tellier’s ex-wife Wendy White said.
"I would never know my father to just wake up one day and decide to kill in cold blood," Tom Tellier’s former stepson Eddy White said.
Nicholas Trynor's cousin says last Christmas, he told her he feared for his life.
- Also read: Maine man accused of killing stepson
"Nicholas told me he was afraid of Tom,” Gladu said. “He feared Tom."
Investigators say Nicholas Trynor did not have a weapon when Tom Tellier pulled the trigger.
His family says there was no need to shoot him.
"I have no words for what Tom did,” Gladu said. “No words."
"He did something wrong,” Kaylee Trynor said. “And he needs to face the consequences."
Tom Tellier is currently being held without bail. If convicted, he faces 25 years to life in prison.