Jury selection took place Monday for the murder trial of Colleen McKernan, who is charged with shooting and killing her husband on New Year’s Eve 2014, less than a year after they got married. This is the second time McKernan will stand trial for her husband’s death, after a previous trial ended in a hung jury.
According to CantonRep.com, McKernan previously testified that on the night in question, she and her husband Rob — both U.S. Air Force veterans — had been drinking, and that he became violent. She said she grabbed a gun to protect herself, but did not remember the actual shooting. An autopsy and x-rays showed that Rob McKernan was shot 10 times. She has alleged that he had been abusive in the past.
Cleveland’s Fox8 reported that authorities said McKernan called 911 at the time, saying she had shot her husband after he hit her, and that she was performing CPR. When police arrived at the scene, they found Rob dead, shot in the face and torso, but did not notice any visual signs of Colleen being injured.
If convicted, McKernan could serve 18 years to life in prison.
Jury selection began on Monday. The trial will be held in Stark County Common Pleas Court in Ohio, before Judge Chryssa N. Hartnett. LawNewz.com will be providing continuing coverage of the case, including live streaming video of the trial.