Man shot neighbour for 'telepathically raping' his wife

A man who shot his neighbour on Sunday in Centerville, Utah, claimed he did it in self-defence, according to jail documents. The neighbour, Tony Pierce, 41, remains in a battle for his life.

The bullet that entered his back hit several vital organs, including the sac around his heart. His spleen was removed in surgery, said Lt. Paul Child of the Centerville Police Department. Police arrested Michael Selleneit, 53, who was charged on Monday with felony counts of attempted murder and unlawful weapon possession. The attempted murder charge carries the possibility of up to life in prison.



According to a probable cause statement filed with the Davis County jail, Selleneit told detectives he shot Pierce in self-defence with intent to kill him. Selleneit claimed Pierce had been "telepathically threatening" to kill Selleneit and his wife. "Selleneit also claimed that Pierce had telepathically raped his wife on many occasions," police wrote in the statement.

Police emphasized that Selleneit had been making such accusations for years and there was no validity to them. "Centerville Police has never found any evidence to indicate that these allegations were true," Childs said.