A deadly confrontation at a north Fayette residence earlier this month turns out not to have stemmed from a home invasion after all, and murder charges have been dropped on one of the men originally charged with the murder, police said.

Michael Charles Phillips, 43, is not in any way responsible for the murder of Terry Durham, 44, that occurred April 2 at 133 Butler Road, said Lt. Col. Bruce Jordan of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department.

Detectives originally contended that Phillips ordered Durham to attack Tommy Ingram, 51, after Phillips and Durham stormed the home. But several witnesses have now come forward to say that Ingram had an ongoing dispute with Durham, 44, Jordan said.

The dispute was over "which one of them would be sleeping in a room" of the house, Jordan said.

The murder charges against Ingram will stand, Jordan said.

Ingram, of 128 Homers Place, Fayetteville, originally told detectives that Durham attacked him as part of a home invasion, and he fatally stabbed Durham in the chest while defending himself, police said. Detectives later became suspicious after learning that Ingram hid the knife in a wooded area, Jordan said.

"We no longer believe Ingram's theory," Jordan said. "Right now, we don't anticipate Phillips being charged with this."

Phillips will likely be a witness in the case against Ingram, Jordan said.

Phillips, who denied accounts that he ordered Ingram to attack Durham, was released from jail last week, Jordan said.

Police said Ingram had several wounds indicating he was hit with a metal pipe by Durham during the scuffle.

The altercation took place at a residence off Ga. Highway 85 near Kenwood Road. Drug activity was known to have taken place at that home previously, Jordan said.