Former Manhattan Beach cop pleads not guilty in Louisiana murder case

Ex-Manhattan Beach Sgt. Shawn Shelton appeared in Natchitoches Parish Court in Louisiana on Monday and pleaded not guilty to drugging and killing a 19-year-old man there.

Judge Eric Harrington set the trial for March 16 and appointed an attorney to represent Shelton. (Shelton can get a new one if he wants.)

Shelton, left, is charged with killing Justin James, below, in October 2005. Prosecutors contend Shelton drugged James with a combination of Xanax, morphine and cocaine in an effort to sexually assault him. The drug combination killed him.

Shelton already is serving a sentence of 35 years to life for kidnapping and raping a 14-year-old boy in Las Vegas.

From what I've been told, they won't waste much time down there in Louisiana getting this trial underway. They don't have too many cases like this. The courthouse has two courtrooms.

From what I gathered while trying to get information over the phone, the judge has imposed a gag order on the officials involved to avoid swaying jurors.

James' mother, Lisa, was in the courtroom, along with her husband Lynn, and children Destiny and Zach. Here's one of her observations:

"Shelton has gained yet more weight than in Nevada. He was very big! He was in his orange striped coveralls with handcuff and chains on his feet.

 When he was through he looked out in the audience and gave my husband Lynn a very, very hard look. He looked at us and walked on."

She closed with this: "This is what we had been waiting for. My husband and I have waited to see him back in Natchitoches, La. where the crime was committed."

Previous entry