Nathan McFadden, a 37-year-old White man described as a "Son, Brother, Dad and just a caring soul," was a Union laborer and the father of a young girl. His life was cut short on the morning of Friday, July 26, 2019, in Manteca, California.
At approximately 9:33 a.m., the Manteca Police Department received a 911 call from a man who stated he had fired a gun at an individual who was now down.
The call came from a jobsite at a home on Verda Court where McFadden and his coworker, Ted DeHoop Jr., were performing renovations for DeHoop’s father. When officers arrived, they found McFadden on the ground with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
DeHoop, who was 57 at the time, was present at the residence and cooperated with the responding officers. He remained on the phone with dispatchers until police arrived. The firearm used in the shooting was recovered at the scene. DeHoop was not immediately taken into custody but was transported to the police department for questioning. He told investigators that he and McFadden had an altercation and that he had retrieved a gun from his truck and shot McFadden in self-defense, claiming he was in fear for his life.
The investigation revealed that the shooting was not a random act of violence. McFadden and DeHoop had a known history of animosity and disagreements with one another. After reviewing the circumstances, investigators determined that DeHoop’s use of deadly force was not “reasonable.” He was arrested for murder at 5 p.m. that same day and booked into the San Joaquin County Jail, where he was held without bail.
After numerous delays caused by the Coronavirus pandemic and other legal proceedings, Ted DeHoop Jr.’s case went to trial. In May 2023, a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Nathan McFadden. The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Janet Smith. Following the conviction, DeHoop was scheduled to be sentenced on July 12, 2023.
