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�Best friend� killed in argument By Jill Briskey SHADY COVE � A drunken 58-year-old man shot and killed his best friend Monday night while the victim was on the phone with his wife, Jackson County sheriff�s deputies say. In a county court affidavit, Shady Cove resident Robert Mark Liles admitted, "I shot my best friend." Liles, who lives two miles east of Highway 62 at 4225 Indian Creek Road, was arrested Tuesday and charged with the murder of 28-year-old Charles Earl May of Crescent City, Calif. The two men apparently had been drinking heavily and became embroiled in an argument at Liles� residence, deputies said. Shady Cove police officers were the first to respond to the reported shooting at 10:30 p.m. May, who was pronounced dead at the scene, had a single gunshot wound in the torso. Liles, who owns and operates Robert Liles Logging, surrendered peacefully to officers. He was lodged in jail without bail. At the time of his death, deputies said, the victim was on the phone with his wife, Shanna May, who was in Crescent City. Charles May allegedly said that Liles was "acting weird" during the telephone conversation, the affidavit said. Shanna May told deputies she heard her husband exclaim "Bob" before he apparently dropped the phone and then a gunshot rang out. Sheriff�s Department detective Sgt. Rich Fogarty said the gun used in the shooting was probably a 12-gauge shotgun. Results of the autopsy, scheduled to begin today, will help identify the weapon used in the crime, Fogarty added. Liles told deputies that he didn�t remember shooting May and that he must have "blacked out," according to the affidavit. "I�m sorry it happened; we never had a fight before," he said. A third person in the home at the time of the murder removed a "long gun firearm" from Liles as May lay on the floor, the affidavit said. Fogarty said investigators believe Liles acted alone. Liles and the victim were longtime friends who met at a social function several years ago, Fogarty said. The families were close and would often visit, he added. Fogarty was unable to provide any details about the argument or how much alcohol was consumed. Deputies searched Liles� home Tuesday and seized several firearms and other items, Fogarty said. According to court documents, Liles had a conviction for drunken driving in 1995 and speeding tickets in 1997 and 1999. Officials from the Shady Cove Police Department are out of town and not available for comment. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.