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A retired computer manager who gunned down two men outside his neighbor's home in the Houston suburb of Pasadena, minutes after telling a 911 dispatcher he intended to go out and confront them, was cleared by a grand jury that declined to bring any charges against him.

Joe Horn, 61, called for help on the afternoon of Nov. 14, 2007, after he spotted two men breaking into the house next door, according to police and recordings of the call. Horn told the dispatcher he had a shotgun and warned that he was going outside. The dispatcher repeatedly urged him to stay put and let officers handle it, telling him at one point that no property was worth killing someone over.

The recordings capture Horn saying he would not let the intruders get away. "Move, and you're dead," he can be heard telling the men, according to the tapes, which are followed by the sound of three shotgun blasts. Both men were struck and died at the scene.

Investigators said the two had climbed out of the neighbor's home carrying a bag of stolen belongings and were shot in the back as they crossed into Horn's line of fire. A plainclothes Pasadena detective who had responded to the 911 call arrived moments before the gunfire and watched the shooting from his unmarked car, according to authorities.

Police identified the dead men as Miguel Antonio DeJesus, 38, and Diego Ortiz, 30, both of Houston. News accounts at the time reported that the two were Colombian nationals with prior criminal records.

On June 30, 2008, after roughly two weeks of testimony, a Harris County grand jury issued a no bill, declining to indict Horn on any charge. His attorney had argued that the shooting was justified under Texas law, which in some circumstances allows the use of deadly force to protect property. The case drew national attention and became a flashpoint in the debate over the state's self-defense and Castle Doctrine statutes.

The killings also sparked protests, with activist Quanell X leading demonstrations near Horn's home and accusing him of taking the law into his own hands, according to news reports. Horn received death threats in the months after the shooting, and Quanell X said he planned to meet with civil attorneys about possible further legal action on behalf of the victims' families.