Friends, family of shooting victim speak out after murder charge dropped against Arizona man
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — An Arizona man's murder charge was dropped after prosecutors claimed he acted in self-defense. However, several people, including the victim's business partner, disagree with the decision.
Christopher Jetton, 52, was killed on May 19 in a rural area of Arizona, about 75 miles southeast of Las Vegas.
57-year-old man arrested in deadly shooting at remote Arizona property
Jetton worked in Las Vegas, and across the state installing high-speed internet at state parks, and his death has devastated those closest to him.
'All of a sudden he's released. Self-defense, no charges. And we're just astonished because he walked in and just shot him,' Danny Bax, Jettons' friend, said.
Bax worked with Jetton for the last seven years and developed a brotherhood as they crisscrossed Nevada from state park to state park installing Wi-Fi.
'Just days before he was killed, we just completed a 2,000-mile trip to nine of the Nevada State Parks to do upgrades. And one removal, so literally he just came back,' Bax said.
The Mohave County Sheriff's Office stated in a press release that on May 19, Richard Stephen Hansen, 57, allegedly shot and killed Jetton inside a trailer. Both men lived on the same property in White Hills, Arizona, but in separate trailers.
Bax said Jetton's wife was Hansen's ex-wife.
The men began arguing after an unknown person drove onto the property, according to Mohave County deputies. Jetton allegedly punched Hanson.
The argument reportedly escalated, Hansen went into his trailer with Jetton following him, grabbed a gun, and shot Jetton in the chest, according to MCSO.
Bax said the death has devastated Jetton's wife Christina.
'She's broken. She is so broken, and so am I. So, I've lost my wife, I've now lost my best friend, and part of my business,' Bax said.
In an email, the Mohave County Attorney's Office told 8 News Now it is no longer pursuing charges against Hansen because it doesn't have a 'reasonable likelihood of conviction' based on the evidence. The agency said it could re-open the case if prosecutors receive new or additional evidence.
Bax started a GoFundMe page to help Jetton's wife during this time of need.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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