一名69岁的男子因在自家前院展示美国国旗和“让美国再次伟大”纪念品而被殴打致死，周三，加州检察官宣布了对该男子的谋杀指控。
对32岁的海军退伍军人托马斯·凯勒·巴特勒(Thomas Caleb Butler)的指控被修改，因为受害者凯瑞·乔治·谢龙(Kerry George Sheron)在5月20日的事件中受伤，几天后死亡，他在加利福尼亚州埃斯孔迪多(Escondido)的家外受伤，邻居称之为“特朗普之家”。
巴特勒最初被圣地亚哥地方检察官办公室指控谋杀未遂，他在5月22日的传讯中否认有罪。
谢龙的家人称他是唐纳德·特朗普总统的坚定支持者，他于5月24日被宣布死亡，四天后他被送往医院，情况危急。
圣地亚哥县地方检察官萨默·斯蒂芬周三在一份声明中宣布，她的办公室现已对巴特勒提出谋杀指控。
“克里·谢龙在自己家外面遭到暴力袭击和谋杀，这让他的家人和社区震惊，并为这位老兵无谓的生命损失感到悲伤，”斯蒂芬说，他将谢龙的死亡描述为“5月20日野蛮袭击”的结果
检察官声称，巴特勒打了谢龙一拳，导致他倒下，然后在谢龙倒地后又打了他几拳。
史蒂芬说:“我的办公室已经对肇事者提出了谋杀指控以及相关指控，并将依法寻求正义和问责，同时为受害者的家人提供支持。”
斯蒂芬说，调查将继续“寻找这个案件相关方面的答案。”
如果罪名成立，巴特勒将面临28年至终身监禁的判决。
巴特勒被关押在圣地亚哥县监狱，不得保释，定于周五因谋杀罪被传讯。被告周三上午的庭审被取消了。
目前还不清楚巴特勒是否已经聘请了律师，或者法院已经指定了律师。
据埃斯孔迪多警察局发言人说，警方尚未对可能的动机发表评论，但正在调查是否可能有“政治成分”。
在截至周三的GoFundMe活动中，已经筹集了近6万美元来支付谢龙的葬礼费用，家庭成员称夺去谢龙生命的事件是“残酷和无端的”。
埃斯孔迪多警方表示，事件发生在当地时间5月20日下午2点14分左右，当时警察被叫到谢龙的家中，调查一份刚刚发生的袭击事件的报告。
警方在一份声明中说:“到达后，警察发现了一名受重伤的老年男性。”“一名在事件中进行干预的旁观者也受了伤。警方获悉，嫌疑人在到达之前已经徒步逃离了该地区。”
根据警方的声明，警察立即搜查了谢龙的邻居并找到了巴特勒，他符合目击者所说的袭击谢龙的人的描述。
根据海军向美国广播公司新闻提供的兵役记录，巴特勒于2011年12月应征加入海军。记录显示，他曾担任信息系统技术员，并于2023年1月退伍。
Murder charge filed against suspect in beating death of owner of California Trump-themed home
A murder charge was announced Wednesday by California prosecutors against the suspect in thebeating deathof a 69-year-old man known for displaying American flags and Make America Great Again memorabilia in his front yard.
The charges against Thomas Caleb Butler, 32, a Navy veteran, were amended as a result of the victim, Kerry George Sheron, dying days after he was injured in the May 20 incident outside his home in Escondido, California, that neighbors dubbed the "Trump House."
Butler was initially charged by the San Diego District Attorney's Office with attempted murder, to which he pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on May 22.
Sheron, whose family described him a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, was pronounced dead on May 24, four days after he was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced in a statement on Wednesday that her office has now filed a murder charge against Butler.
"The violent assault and murder of Kerry Sheron outside his own home has left his family and community shaken and grieving for the veteran's senseless loss of life," Stephan said, describing Sheron's death as the result of the "brutal May 20 assault."
Prosecutors allege that Butler punched Sheron, causing him to collapse, then punched him several more times after Sheron was on the ground.
"My office has filed a murder charge along with related charges against the perpetrator and will seek justice and accountability under the law while providing support for the victim's family," Stephan said.
Stephan said the investigation will continue to "seek answers to the relevant aspects of this case."
If convicted, Butler faces a sentence of 28 years to life in prison, according to the DA.
Butler, who is being held without bail at the San Diego County Jail, is scheduled to be arraigned on the murder count on Friday. The defendant's court hearing on Wednesday morning was canceled.
It was unclear if Butler has hired an attorney or has been appointed one by the court.
Police have yet to comment on a possible motive, but are investigating whether there may have been "a political component," according to an Escondido Police Department spokesperson.
In a GoFundMe campaign that as of Wednesday has raised nearly $60,000 to cover Sheron's funeral expenses, family members called the incident that claimed Sheron's life "brutal and unprovoked."
Escondido police said the incident unfolded around 2:14 p.m. local time on May 20, when officers were called to Sheron's home to investigate a report that an assault had just occurred.
"Upon arrival, officers located an elderly male suffering from significant injuries," police said in a statement. "A bystander who intervened during the incident was also injured. Officers learned the suspect had fled the area on foot prior to their arrival."
Officers immediately searched Sheron's neighborhood and located Butler, who matched the description of the person witnesses said attacked Sheron, according to the police statement.
According to military service records provided by the Navy to ABC News, Butler enlisted in the Navy in December 2011. He served as an information systems technician and was discharged in January 2023, records show.
