D.C. man gets 17 years in prison for murder over dog waste

(CBS) WASH., D.C. - A Wash., D.C. man, Ellsworth Colbert, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for murdering his 37-year-old neighbor, Robert Wright, after he mistakenly thought the victim's dog, Macho, soiled his lawn, according to the Washington Post.

The 57-year-old Colbert , who was sentenced Wednesday, was found guilty of manslaughter in a week-long trial that took place in a D.C. Superior Court in January, said the paper.

The Post reported that on March 4, 2012, Colbert approached Wright as he was walking his friend's dog. After arguing over the alleged incident, Colbert then followed Wright to the home where Macho was kept and Colbert attacked his neighbor with a knife, stabbing him four times.

According to police, there was no evidence that Macho, a pit bull, had actually defecated on Colbert's lawn, the  Washington Post reported.

The paper reported that Colbert will be placed on five years of supervised release once he has served his sentence.