LAKE COUNTY — Jury selection began Tuesday in the second murder trial for former Lower Lake resident David Garlow Deason, 68.
Deason was convicted of shooting and killing his live-in girlfriend, Marie Parlet, at the couple”s Lower Lake mobile home in December 2004. According to court records from Deason”s 2006 trial, Parlet was shot once in the chest at a distance of approximately 18 inches and once in the back.
“The San Francisco appellate court reversed the first-degree murder conviction, and if we want to convict him, we have to retry him,” Lake County Deputy District Attorney John Langan said.
Deason was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison. San Francisco attorney Jonathan Soglin, who defended Deason, appealed the conviction in January 2007. Soglin wrote in the appeal that the defense acknowledged Deason killed Parlet “but contended the killing was not premeditated and that Deason was guilty of no more than second-degree murder.”
Evidence of Deason”s .27 blood alcohol content was not admitted in his first trial, according to Lake County District Attorney Jon Hopkins. He said the appellate court found that the blood alcohol level should be introduced.
The Court of Appeal of the state of California, First Appellate District, Division Three, officially sent the case back to the Lake County Superior Court system in February.
Langan said jury selection will likely end today, and the case will be back in court early in January.
“We may start presenting evidence around Jan. 6. This case will probably be a little longer than most. We”re preparing jurors for the trial to continue until the end of January,” Langan said.
Lakeport attorney Douglas Rhoades was appointed to defend Deason in his second trial. Rhoades could not be contacted by the Record-Bee”s press time Wednesday.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com, or call her directly at 263-5636 ext. 37.
