Day Two – Shawna Forde Murder Trial – Prosecution has a “surprise” witness – Jason Bush’s girlfriend

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Day Two – Shawna Forde Murder Trial – Prosecution has a “surprise” witness – Jason Bush’s girlfriend
Testimony continued to move along today with the defense cross examining the widow of Raul Flores and mother of 9 year old Brisenia Flores in Minuteman Shawna Forde’s capital murder trial. Perhaps the highlight of the day was when prosecutors announced to the Court that their investigators had found Jason Bush’s girlfriend, Melinda Shelton and were going to have her testify. The stunned defense attorney Eric Larsen immediately objected saying they needed time to interview her and investigate her story. (another defense ploy to delay the trial) Prosecutor Rick Unklesbay replied Larsen shouldn’t be surprised because Shelton has always been listed on the witness list and had in fact, been scheduled to testify today.

Judge John Leonardo declined to allow prosecutors to present her as a witness until tomorrow, giving Larsen and Jill Thorpe the opportunity to interview her this evening. It is being reported that Shelton will testify that Shawna Forde at her house in Meadview Arizona in late May (the murders occurred on May 30) and the next time she saw Bush, he was suffering from the gunshot wound to the leg.

Larsen continued his cross examination of Gina Gonzalez by trying to get her to admit she couldn’t identify Forde as the “mean” woman who was barking orders to Bush and the other home invaders. Vut Gonzalez, a brave woman to say the least, threw it right back at him. Larsen asked her, “As you sit here today you still can’t say Shawna Forde was in your home, right?” Gonzalez answered, “No, because I don’t know Shawna Forde.”

Further along in the testimony, Gonzalez stuck to her guns insisting, “She looks like the person in my house.”
Larsen asked, “You also indicated that she was initially in brown camouflage, correct?” Gonzalez answered, “Yes.” “And the second time she was now in green sort of border patrol,” Larsen asked. Gonzalez said, “Yes, like she had taken her jacket off.”

Gonzalez testimony also put the teal mini van found on Albert Gaxiolas property which had Bush’s blood and DNA in it and that had been seen cruising the Flores neighborhood earlier in the day.

Albert Gaxiola’s next door neighbor was also called to testify and she placed Shawna Fordes orange Honda Element at Gaxiolas house 4 hours after the murders. Earlier she testified, about 01:15 Gaxiola was out in his yard trying to start a flooded car. This was half an hour after Gonzalez 911 call. The witness also put Forde and another man at a gathering in Gaxiolas back yard about a week before the murders.

Testimony continues tomorrow as David Winston a medical examiner continues his testimony the autopsy and jurors get a first look at the victims.