NATCHEZ — A Natchez man convicted of shooting a man outside his estranged wife’s residence in 2015 was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison.

Casey S. Woods, 43, 125 Gaylor Road, was found guilty of second-degree murder this past week in Circuit Court Judge Lillie Blackmon Sanders’ court of killing Pierre Tenner on May 24, 2015.

District Attorney Ronnie Harper said the court had a hearing to determine Woods’ status as a habitual offender prior to the sentencing.

With at least two prior convictions — and at least one of them violent — and having served a year or more in any state or federal penal institution, Harper said Woods qualified as a habitual offender.

Woods status as a habitual offender under state statue 99-19-83 mandated his sentence to life without parole, suspension or any type of release.

The shooting took place at approximately 12:30 p.m. in the driveway of 14 Hampton Court, the residence of Tenner’s estranged wife, Doris Tenner.

Pierre Tenner, after sustaining a gunshot wound to the upper right hip, was pronounced dead at 1:30 p.m. at Merit Health Natchez.

Woods shot Pierre Tenner with a 12-guage shotgun.

Woods’ defense attorney Zach Jex of Natchez said Thursday he was disappointed in the outcome.

The premise of Woods’ defense was that the shooting was in self-defense.

“The law is clear that when someone enters a property unlawfully and forcibly, like Pierre did, anyone on the property who has a legal right to be there may use deadly force to defend themselves or others,” Jex said. “That’s what Casey did. I’m extremely disappointed in the verdict.”

Jex said Woods would be assigned another public defender for his appeal process.

In court, Jex argued Woods had knowledge of a domestic disturbance between Pierre Tenner and Doris Tenner in which Pierre Tenner admitted a shotgun blast was fired in the residence.

So when Pierre Tenner showed up at a neighboring residence to Doris Tenner’s residence three weeks after the domestic incident, Pierre Tenner and Woods began arguing across the street.

Jex argued Woods had reason to believe Pierre Tenner had a gun, when Pierre Tenner crossed the street, Woods had reason to fear and defend himself, the property and Doris Tenner.

Harper argued the manner in which Woods retrieved the shotgun made the shooting unnecessary.

Woods had to go into the laundry room or the home — testimony suggested both locations were possible — to retrieve the gun. Once inside, Doris Tenner testified she told Woods he had no reason to go back outside, yet he did, Harper said.

Harper said standing your ground is not leaving the driveway to get a gun and coming back to the driveway to shoot someone.

“I submit to you that is not reasonable,” Harper said during closing arguments. “That’s not imminent danger while you are in the house.”

Woods had been charged with first-degree murder. The jury opted Friday to convict Woods on the lesser charge.