A Georgia grand jury has declined to indict a teenage boy who told investigators he killed his father because “he had enough of his father abusing his mother.”

Tucker Gales, then 15, was arrested for the October 28 shooting death of Wesley Gales, 66, as CrimeOnline previously reported. He admitted to Columbia County Sheriff’s deputies that he shot his father in the head with a .22-caliber Marlin rifle because of the repeated abuse.

Columbia County District Attorney Bobby Christine told WJBF that the grand jury, meeting on Wednesday, saw no cause to indict Tucker Gales. The decision, he said, represents “the combined wisdom of our community” and is the final word on the case.

Court records had indicated a history of abuse in the home, including a guilty plea in May 2020 to domestic abuse and child cruelty charges relating to an incident in May. Wesley Gales was sentenced to 12 months probation.

In that incident, the elder Gales was accused of punching his wife, Deborah, in the eye, kicking her in the head, and throwing a DVD player down the hall.

In September 2020, Deborah Gales called 911 and reported that her husband had threatened to shoot her and her son. Wesley Gales denied the allegations, and police declined to filed charges “because of conflicting accounts.”

There were also previous accusations, going back to at least 2011, but none put Wesley Gales in jail.

After Tucker Gales’ arrest, community members swarmed social media in support of him, and a local attorney volunteered to take his case free of charge.

For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast

[Featured image: Tucker Gales/Columbia County Sheriff’s Office]