33-year-old Ray Shetler Jr. has admitted that he shot and killed Saint Clair Township Police Officer Lloyd Reed Jr. on November 28th, 2015 at the New Florence home of Shetler’s girlfriend, Kristen Luther. However, he says it was in self-defense and that he didn’t know Reed was a police officer.
Today in Westmoreland County Court, jury selection begins for Shetler’s trial on charges of first and third degree murder. It is the eighth time the trial has been scheduled, but the first time it’s made it as far as the courtroom.
Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio last week issued several pretrial rulings and declared the case ready for trial. She approved a visit to the scene of the shooting for the jurors, but has not yet ruled on defense motions for the exclusion of certain photographs of the autopsy, for the exclusion of testimony on Shetler’s past criminal history, or for the exclusion of “victims’ impact” statements during the trial.
Reed was summoned to Luther’s home on a domestic violence call, and Shetler’s trial will also include concurrent trials for charges related to that, and on theft charges from his escape attempt, when police say he stole a pickup truck from a nearby power plant. That truck broke down before he could get anywhere. The jury will also travel to that scene and view the area where police say Shetler stashed the rifle he used and the clothing he was wearing.
Judge Bilik-DeFazio said the trial should take two weeks once a jury is chosen.
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