Jury deliberation resumes in trial of Palm Desert man accused of murder

Jury deliberations resume today in the trial of a Palm  Desert man accused of murdering a 36-year-old woman who planned to buy  marijuana from him.
      Sean Michael Mihajson, 24, is charged with the Oct. 12, 2007, slaying of  North Palm Springs resident Shalonda Morris. He also faces special- circumstance allegations of lying in wait and murder in commission of a  robbery, but prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty.
      The defendant's twin sister, Vanesa Michelle Mihajson, was convicted in  October 2011 of being an accessory to a felony and was sentenced to three years  probation and 120 hours of community service.
      Shalonda Morris, who also went by the name of  "Shay," was last seen  leaving her residence to meet Mihajson at his Palm Desert condominium,  according to Deputy District Attorney Pete Nolan. She and a man named John  Delgadillo, both cancer patients, had recommendations from doctors enabling  them to buy medical marijuana and planned to pool their money to buy a pound of  pot; but Delgadillo backed out of the deal and she withdrew more than $7,000  from the bank, according to Nolan.
      Nolan said Mihajson asked his sister if he could borrow her van, then  told her he didn't want her at their condominium and suggested she go to a  mall. When she was at the mall, he asked her to buy plastic sheeting and duct  tape at a Lowe's store, according to Nolan.  A friend drove her there, then  delivered the items to the condo, Nolan said.
      Vanesa Mihajson told a friend her brother planned to "rip off" Morris  and said, "Shay's gone," according to Nolan.
      Mihajson's girlfriend, who lived with him and his sister, was also  dropped off at the mall, the prosecutor said. He claimed that Sean Mihajson  later picked up his sister and girlfriend and took them to a motel, where they  counted thousands of dollars in cash. The trio went from hotel to hotel and  eventually went to Las Vegas, according to Nolan. About two weeks later, they  went back to the Palm Desert condo; and the women noticed that Sean and his  girlfriend's bedroom had new carpet, new bedding and new curtains, Nolan said.
      Mihajson testified last week that he had nothing to do with Morris'  disappearance. He claimed that the sheeting and tape were to have been used to  wrap up his marijuana plant before his landlord got to town and that he and his  sister and girlfriend went to the hotels and Las Vegas to party. He denied  making improvements to the condo.
      Nolan said in his closing argument last week that "here is one  reasonable version of events in this case that has been told by every witness  in this case except one, and that person's version is wholly unreasonable."
      He said witnesses who didn't all know each other or the victim  corroborated information, and Mihajson's statements and actions showed  "consciousness of guilt."
      "Why (tell Vanesa), `Don't say anything?' Why tell her that if there's  nothing that he did and nothing that she knows? ... What is he feeling guilty  for if not for his involvement in the murder of Shalonda Morris?" Nolan said.
      He said Mihajson first planned to rip Morris off, then planned to kill her.
      "He's lying about his involvement. He's guilty of murdering Shalonda  Morris," Nolan said.
      In his closing argument, defense attorney Greg Johnson reiterated what  he had said in his opening statement: that there was no forensic evidence that  Mihajson killed Morris, an alleged drug dealer who had served prison time.
      "The theory is he blew her brains out and there's blood everywhere ...  that's why he's painting and laying down new carpet. But there's not a speck of  anything -- anything -- anywhere," Johnson said.
      He said Delgadillo and Morris' domestic partner, who testified, were  both convicted felons, something the jury could consider.
      "These people are not saints, they're not angels," he said.
      He said his client "didn't have a chance" when police wanted to  question him and lied to protect himself. But after he bailed out of jail, he  stayed in the area to attend hearings for another court case instead of  fleeing.
      Johnson said he wasn't going to justify his client's drug lifestyle,  "but he's not a killer."
      If convicted of first-degree murder and at least one special  circumstance allegation, Mihajson faces life in prison without parole,  according to the District Attorney's Office.