A Manteca man that shot a coworker during an altercation on a jobsite nearly four years ago was convicted this week of first-degree murder.

Ted DeHoop Jr., who was 57 when he shot and killed 38-year-old Nathan McFadden on July 26, 2019, was found guilty after a trial that was stalled by the Coronavirus pandemic and a variety of other legal proceedings.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Janet Smith, and DeHoop is scheduled to appear for sentencing on July 12.

According to the Manteca Police Department, DeHoop and McFadden had both worked for DeHoop’s father performing renovations on homes owned by the elder DeHoop and the two men had a history of animosity and disagreements with one another.

In a statement announcing the conviction the agency said that DeHoop told investigators that he was in fear for his life and retrieved a gun from his truck on the day of the incident and used that gun to shoot McFadden in what he felt was self-defense. When investigators began looking into the circumstances, they determined that DeHoop’s decision to use deadly force in self-defense was not “reasonable” and he was arrested and charged with murder.

The incident occurred on the 400 block of Verda Court, and DeHoop was the man who called 911 to report what happened – staying on the phone with dispatchers while officers responded to the area.

According to his social media accounts at the time, McFadden was a Union laborer and the father of a young girl at the time of his slaying.

While police responded to the scene shortly after the shooting occurred at 9:33 a.m. on the day it happened, DeHoop was not immediately arrested and was instead transported to the Manteca Police Department where he spoke to investigators who tried to piece together what happened. He was taken into custody at 5 p.m. that same day and has remained in custody at the San Joaquin County Jail without bail ever since.

To contact Bulletin reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.