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SAN LUIS OBISPO
Shumey dozes off while opening statements are presented for murder trial
Posted: Jan 28, 2013 6:17 PM by Connie Tran, KSBY News
Updated: Jan 29, 2013 5:14 AM
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Opening statements began on Monday for one of the biggest local murder trials of the year.
A jury of twelve was finally selected in the Christopher Shumey case on Monday morning, and then the jury listened to opening statement from both sides in the afternoon. Shumey is accused of murdering his mother in San Luis Obispo in September 2011.
Shumey was seen dozing off through most of the opening statements, including when his own attorney, Pierre Blahnik, took the stand to defend him.
San Luis Obispo Deputy District Attorney Karen Gray said Shumey stole the shotgun he used to kill his mother, Karen Gray, from his father's storage. Gray argued that Shumey felt his mother was smothering him, and that is why he shot her. She said Shumey shot his mother, first through a wooden door, and then the second time, he opened the door and shot her directly in the head.
Blahnik said Shumey was not right in the head that September day, and argued that Shumey actually had intentions of killing himself before shooting his mother. He also added that Shumey has been mentally ill since 1999, with first signs of mental instability when he was a senior at UC Santa Cruz.
Shumey is being charged with first-degree murder and assault with a firearm on a police officer. He has plead not guilty by reason of insanity to those charges. Trial is expected to resume on Tuesday.
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