A Brevard County judge denied the Stand Your Ground defense of William Woodward, the man accused of murdering two neighbors in 2012.

Woodward has said that he shot at the neighbors because of constant threats to his family and himself.

"He emptied two magazines into and at three unarmed people," said Judge James Earp. "Making sure two were dead and the third only surviving because of prompt medical care and the defendants lack of more ammunition."

The judge said while there was an ongoing feud between Woodward and his neighbors, Woodward never called police and there was never any proof of a true threat to Woodward's his family.

In his order denying the self-defense claim, the judge pointed out from Woodward's own testimony that the victims were unarmed.

The Army veteran also testified he went outside and hid while watching his neighbors for some 20 minutes before making a military-style surprise attack.

“I knew the verdict would come out this way, but just hearing the judge say it is a sense of relief," said Christina Cipollone Hembree, Gary Hembree's sister. "I know there is going to be appeals, but we are going to win this.”

Woodward's case will now go to a jury trial, and he could face the death penalty.

Woodward cried on the stand Thursday during his tesimony. His voice cut out — in fact at one point he had to stop for a moment — as he described how much he was afraid of his neighbors and what he thought they could do to his family.

“And I didn’t want my wife and children living there," Woodward cried. "So we were going to leave. And that’s all I wanted to do.”

Woodward said threats from his neighbors drove him to open fire on the group during a Labor Day party in 2012.

He said his family had found a new home and was preparing to move out of the neighborhood at the time.

“Because these people were seriously wanting to do us harm," Woodward said. "I wanted to get out of there. And I didn’t want to be there.”

Woodward's defense attorneys continually asked him if he had ever seriously thought about shooting his neighbors during previous run-ins in the neighborhood.

“Did you react by going over and getting your gun and shooting people?” asked attorney Greg Eisenmenger.

“No sir,” Woodward responded.

“Why not?” Eisenmenger asked.

“No, you just don’t do that,” Woodward said.

But prosecutors said Woodward was a calculating killer who stalked his neighbors.