MIDDLEBURG -- Travis D. Graham told police he feared Jeffrey E. Stock and was trying to scare him when he fired a single fatal shot at Stock's midsection on March 22, a state trooper said Thursday at a preliminary hearing.

Homicide and aggravated assault charges against Graham, 26, of RR2 Richfield, were transferred to Snyder County Court following the hearing before District Judge Willis Savidge.

Trooper Rob Reeves testified that on March 31 Graham confessed to the killing, but claimed he wanted to shoot at Stock, 46, to scare him because he feared the older man.

Graham told police he left his house at about 10 p.m. March 22, drove to Potato Valley Road and parked his vehicle in a spot that overlooked Stock's home on the parallel Seven Stars Road in West Perry Township, Snyder County.

He aimed the rifle out the window toward Stock's back porch and waited for about 10 seconds until he saw the "cherry" on the end of a cigarette, indicating someone was smoking, Reeves said.

In his confession, Graham said he "aimed three feet below the cigarette" and made hand motions at his waist, Reeves testified.

"He heard a thud and drove away without seeing if the victim had fallen," the trooper said.

Graham's confession was consistent with the facts of the slaying, District Attorney Michael Sholley said.

Earlier in the hearing, Mifflin County Coroner David P. Lynch testified Stock was killed by a single gunshot wound to the lower abdomen.

Reeves said Stock was standing outside on his porch smoking a cigarette at about 10:30 p.m. when he was shot.

His longtime companion, Brenda Soder, was inside the house, about 8 to 10 feet away from Stock at the time.

Reeves said Graham fired the fatal shot from 180 yards away and later melted the rifle with a torch in his barn.

Police obtained a search warrant and recovered the scope and melted metal from the rifle where Graham said they would find it, he said.

Although Graham said it wasn't his intention to kill, Reeves said he admitted aiming at the victim's waist and firing.

Defense attorney George Matangos, of Lemoyne, questioned Reeves about the confession and why Graham wanted to scare Stock.