He shot a stranger in his driveway. Now, Texas man faces murder trial after immigrant's death.

Editor's note: A headline for this article was updated to clarify that the man on trial was accused of murdering a Moroccan immigrant.

LOCKHART — Jury selection took place on Monday for the trial of Terry Turner, a Martindale resident who is accused of the murder of an unarmed Moroccan immigrant in October 2021. The trial is expected to begin Tuesday.

The trial garnered national media attention as a showcase on the limits of "stand your ground" laws, as Turner claimed self-defense for fatally shooting Adil Dghoughi, a 31-year-old Austin resident.

Turner, 67, was indicted on a first-degree murder charge in February 2022. He faces five years to life in prison if convicted.

Turner is being defended by the Austin-based law office of E.G. Morris.

Turner said he shot Dghoughi after seeing unfamiliar car in driveway

Turner said he noticed an unfamiliar car parked in his driveway with the lights turned off when he got up to use the bathroom, according to previous reporting by the Statesman.

A copy of the probable cause arrest affidavit states that Turner went out to confront the driver with a gun in his hand when Dghoughi, who was in the car, began backing away. Turner chased after him, and once Dghoughi reached the end of the driveway and placed the vehicle in drive, Turner struck the driver-side window twice with his firearm before firing his weapon once into the vehicle.

Turner called 911 and said, "I just killed a guy," according to the affidavit.

Turner told authorities with the Caldwell County sheriff's office at the time that Dghoughi pointed a gun at him, so he fired, the affidavit states. Dghoughi was later found to be unarmed.

Dghoughi was later pronounced dead at a hospital from a gunshot wound to the head, which first entered through his raised hand.

Family members of Dghoughi said that he enjoyed driving around and listening to music, with his favorite artist being Janis Joplin. They believe he got lost when driving around after leaving a football watch party with his girlfriend, Sarah Todd, and had pulled over to find his way back home. Todd lived 3 miles from Turner's home.

In February 2022, Dghoughi's mother, Fatiha Haouass, sued Turner for wrongful death.

Activists, family of Dghoughi have criticized officials' handling of his case

Haouass and Dghoughi's brother, Othmane Dghoughi, were both in attendance during Monday's jury selection.

Activists and family members have questioned certain aspects surrounding the case, stating that Dghoughi's case was being treated differently than other recent killings.

They pointed to how Turner wasn't arrested until 11 days after the shooting and how his bail was set at $150,000 and he was released two hours later, according to previous reporting by the Statesman.

In September 2021, a 69-year-old woman admitted to killing her husband, Lothar Storch, 82, at the home they shared near Tilmon, in Caldwell County. Storch was shot multiple times and died there. Dena Katharine Harris Storch was arrested and charged with murder just three days later with bail set at $1 million.

Other questions have popped up since then, such as the amount of time it took for Turner to be indicted — nearly 120 days after the shooting — compared to Storch's indictment, which came 63 days after the shooting.

Dghoughi's family emigrated from Morocco in 2012

Dghoughi was the oldest of four children in a family who immigrated to the United States from Morocco in 2012 in search of a better education. He attended Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island and graduated with a master's degree in business administration and finance.

He had moved to Austin in 2020 as he sought a job as a financial analyst. His family said his email shows he had several interviews lined up.

Former staff writer Luz Moreno-Lozano contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Terry Turner faces Adil Dghoughi murder trial after immigrant's death