Out of an Atlanta suburb comes the still unraveling story of one man in his fifties killing another -- ostensibly over an argument about unleashed dogs in the park.

Yellow River Park, in Gwinnett County, doesn't permit dogs off their leashes, and Charles Martin Coats, 57, continually -- over several years -- reminded William Scott Carr, 50, of that fact.

In January, that argument got to the point where Coats, who liked to sit in the park and whittle, fatally stabbed Carr, who liked to let his dogs run unleashed, according to an article in yesterday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Opening statements in Coats murder trial Wednesday revealed that, while the two men continually butted heads over dogs, and did so on the day of the murder, there may have been deeper issues, including Coats alleged resentment of gay people, of which Carr was one.

"Get your blankety-blank dogs on a leash!" Coats told Carr on one occasion, said prosecuting attorney David Keeton. The two traded insults, with Carr telling Coats to "mind his own business."

Coats stabbed Carr once in the throat, which Keeton said showed Coats' murderous intent. Keeton suggested Coats was motivated by homophobia, citing testimony by one of Coats' jailmates. Coats' bias helps explain "why he so grossly overreacted in his response to what should have been a minor situation," Keeton told the jury.

"He not only resented Scott Carr's unleashed dogs," Keeton said. He also "resented what he thought was Mr. Carr's unleashed lifestyle."

Coats' attorney Brian Steel rejected Keeton's homophobia argument, saying the allegation comes from a convict looking to cut a deal.