Murder suspect denies responsibility for Pomona shooting in trial testimony

Photo: Michael McKee and his girlfriend Julie Finneran (from MySpace).

POMONA - A man on trial for murder in a Pomona man's shooting death denied responsibility for the killing on the witness stand today, and blamed the shooting on another man.

Louis Wilson testified in Pomona Superior Court that he watched on Dec. 6, 2008 as Michael McKee, 30, was gunned down by a man he didn't recognize in the 2500 block of South Virginia Avenue in Pomona.

Right before the alleged shooter opened fire on McKee, Wilson testified that the man shouted that he was acting to avenge McKee's alleged molestation of a young Pomona girl.

It was the first time Wilson, 34, had blamed the shooting on another person.

Prosecutors accuse Wilson of killing McKee because McKee allegedly molested Wilson's best friend's daughter, and because McKee's girlfriend rebuffed his sexual advances that day.

Wilson was the final witness called in his trial. Attorneys in the case are scheduled to give closing arguments Tuesday, and afterward a jury of eight women and four men will begin deliberations.

In his testimony this afternoon, Wilson admitted that he lied repeatedly about the incident in the past, and he said he never disclosed his story to police because he feared retaliation for cooperating with authorities.

"The testimony I gave today is exactly what I'm asking you to believe," Wilson said.

When asked to explain why he told a woman in the hours after the shooting that he was responsible, Wilson testified that he took credit to impress the woman and get her to have sex.

Wilson also explained that he showered and cleaned himself and his clothes with bleach after the shooting to eliminate possible evidence in order to avoid suspicion from police.

"I'm trying to erase any evidence of being at the crime scene whatsoever," Wilson testified.

Shortly before McKee's death, Wilson said McKee agreed to give him a ride to his aunt's home in Ontario.

As the men left McKee's home in the 600 block of South Reservoir Street at about 8:40 p.m., McKee said he needed to stop on the way to see someone, Wilson testified.

The men arrived in a Virginia Avenue cul-de-sac and McKee parked next to a man who was sitting in a parked car, Wilson testified.

The man, who Wilson testified as a Hispanic man wearing jeans and a blue short-sleeved T-shirt, asked Wilson to leave the car so he could have a private conversation with McKee.

Moments later, the man shouted he was acting in response to the alleged molestation, then opened fire, shooting McKee several times, Wilson said.

The man then turned to Wilson and said, "Are you a child molester too?" Wilson testified.

Wilson told him he wasn't, then ran from the area, he testified.

Under cross-examination, Wilson acknowledged that the day of the killing, he took his girlfriend's car without permission, walked in on McKee's girlfriend as she showered, and chased one of McKee's roommates with a candy cane lawn ornament.

Jurors also learned that Wilson has prior convictions for burglary and car theft.

When Wilson was arrested the day after McKee's killing, he was holding a photo of the alleged molestation victim. He testified that he had the picture because he wanted to explain to McKee's family why McKee was shot.

He claimed he didn't believe McKee had molested the child, but he said in his testimony that if he had believed the allegations were true, he may have killed McKee himself.

"He would have been done like that by me," Wilson testified.

Pomona police Detective Andrew Bebon testified that shortly before McKee and Wilson left McKee's home, McKee asked to use his roommate's cell phone.

The line of questioning into the phone call by Wilson's defense attorney seemed designed to infer that McKee's call was linked to his shooting death soon after.