SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Greene County prosecutor is holding off on filing charges in a Springfield shooting until it can be determined whether the shooter acted in self defense.

A 24-year-old man shot and killed 28-year-old Jacob merriment in the front yard of a home in west Springfield Saturday night.

The Springfield Police Department took the 24-year-old man into custody and released him within 24 hours.

Prosecutor Dan Patterson told KOLR10 News Monday his staff is still working to investigate several items, including whether the shooter was justified under a self-defense law known as “the castle doctrine.”

Springfield Defense Attorney Adam Woody said the castle doctrine gives homeowners leeway to use force against someone to protect their life or property.

“Home break-ins and burglaries are becoming increasingly common unfortunately, so the castle doctrine is becoming more and more expansive so people can protect themselves in their home,” Woody said.

Woody said there is an important word etched in Missouri’s castle doctrine law about a half-dozen times.

“The real touchstone of the inquiry involves reasonableness,” Woody said. “What was reasonable under the circumstances?”

Homeowners do not necessarily have to be in fear of their life for their actions to be justified.

“They can be in fear of any forcible felony being committed upon them and then they’re justified in using deadly force to protect themselves, if they are in their home, if they are in their vehicle,” Woody said.

Woody said prosecutors tend to air on the side of caution if they cannot be certain they should file charges in these cases.

However, they continue the investigation until there is no doubt in their mind.

“If they’re [the aggressor] in the front yard for example, again it will come down to reasonableness –whether the person reasonably believed that another person was going to try to enter their home and use a forcible felony upon them,” Woody said.

The castle doctrine is similar to stand-your-ground and duty-to-retreat self defense laws for situations outside the home.