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Old May 4th, 2021 #287
Stewart Meadows
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Join Date: May 2018
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Trial begins for Everett man accused of stomping woman to death


Jamel Alexander, 31, is accused of first-degree murder in the death of Shawna Brune, 29, of Everett.

By Ellen Dennis
Monday, May 3, 2021 5:23am

EVERETT — A man accused of viciously stomping a woman to death conceded he paid her $100 for sex hours before her body was found, but he maintains he did not kill her, his attorneys said in court Friday.

A Snohomish County jury will decide if Jamel Alexander, 31, of Everett, killed Shawna Brune in 2019.

Defense attorney Kenneth Williams argued race played a role in the homicide investigation and Alexander’s arrest, because he is a Black man accused of killing a white woman.

“They have tunnel vision on this Black man, and they are going to put him away,” Williams told the jury Friday in his opening statement. “The police wouldn’t listen to him, but hopefully you will listen to me.”

The defendant’s counsel attempted to screen potential jurors for race-related bias before opening statements, asking them to disclose any experiences they’ve had with Black people that would influence their judgment. The defense urged the jury pool to consider the case in the context of recent national news, including the murder trial of Minneapolis ex-police officer Derek Chauvin.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/trial...mping-killing/