BILLINGS — A jury found a Billings man guilty Thursday of deliberate homicide and tampering with evidence in a fatal shooting outside a Billings nightclub in 2023.
Xavier Thanae Buffalo was facing the two felony charges after shooting 21-year-old Beau Harlan Beaumont on Feb. 12, 2023, in the parking lot outside America's Wild West on Southgate Drive.
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The trial began on Monday, and the jury deliberated for a few hours Thursday afternoon before reaching a verdict around 5 p.m.
On Thursday morning, defense attorneys argued Buffalo should be charged with tampering with evidence, but they did say that Buffalo acted in self-defense and was under emotional and mental stress due to Beaumont choking his neck.
"You might agree with the state that Xavier was the aggressor, again, maybe so, but once Beau started pushing on Xavier's neck, that must have put Xavier in reasonable fear of death, and that is a possibility that the state cannot rule out. The state cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that this was not self defense, and that is their burden," said defense attorney Blaine McGivern.
Prosecutors said Buffalo initiated the fight and therefore cannot claim self-defense. They also said Beaumont was attempting to leave the establishment and that Buffalo did not report that he had been choked.
“When was Beau losing this fight? He was essentially helpless to a guy with a plan and a guy who was mad and a guy who was pissed, and he'd been pissed according to the undisputed evidence in this case for probably a week," said Yellowstone County Deputy Prosecutor Ed Zink.
Sentencing will be held at a later date.
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