but vilkin is unfazed.dent that this was no murder, but an act of self-defense. >> this case was justified. self-defense. mr. vilkin protected himself. >> you have to wonder whether vilkin saw himself as sort of a modern-day dirty harry, out there to protect himself against the bad guy in defense of a principle. >> go ahead, make my day. >> he told me, "you are a fanatic." the way he looked at me would fry a hamburger. >> he loved owning that land. >> reporter: the defense strategy was to put the victim on trial. according to vilkin, his neighbor john upton, seen as a saint for his selfless work rescuing abused orphans in romania, had a volcanic temper which had been erupting on vilkin with increasing ferocity as vilkin pursued his assault on those trees. >> the heart of the defense here was that upton was a threat to vilkin, that he wasn't just this lovable, friendly guy, but he was an angry, aggressive guy who came after vilkin. >> my body language was -- don't cut the trees here! when he was talking to m