Friday, February 25, 2011

Fresno, CA: Woman's murder-by-car trial opens in Fresno

A murder trial began this morning for a 29-year-old woman accused of murdering her boyfriend last year by running him over with a car in southwest Fresno.

Seneca Turner cried in Fresno County Superior Court as her lawyer asked a jury in opening statements to "set her free" because she didn't intend to kill Sendy Thomas, 48.
Drunk and high on cocaine, Thomas jumped in front of her car and tried to attack her on the morning of Jan. 9 at Mariposa and A streets, said attorney Michael Mitchell, who is defending Turner.

Prosecutor Michael Frye, however, said Turner also was drunk and had cocaine and marijuana in her system. She intended to run over Thomas because he was either sitting on a curb or lying on grassy strip next the sidewalk when Turner ran him down and dragged his body under her 2000 Buick LeSabre.

Both lawyers said the couple had a stormy relationship, and that Turner had a prior domestic dispute with another boyfriend and Thomas was a convicted bank robber who had spent a lot of time in prison.

Hours before Thomas was killed, Frye said, a neighbor heard the couple arguing, with Turner saying twice: "I'm going to kill you."

But Mitchell said Turner was a battered woman who feared Thomas. He told jurors that people who know Thomas will testify that "he used fear, intimidation and violence" to get what he wanted.

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