Slaying Victim Had Previously Shot a Burglary Suspect : Crime: Pacific Beach man testified two months ago in connection with break-in at a former residence.
A Pacific Beach man found bludgeoned to death in his home had shot and wounded an intruder last year at a previous residence, and had testified two months ago in connection with that burglary, court records show.
San Diego police said Thursday that they are investigating--but downplaying--the possibility that the earlier shooting might be related to the death of Kelly Gene Shaw, 55. His body, and that of Georgia Anne Gregg, 56, were found Wednesday.
Both Shaw, a self-employed accountant, and Gregg, a hotel manager, had been beaten to death, police said. Neighbors told police that they heard screams Monday night from the house in the 700 block of Agate Street, where the bodies were found, and police said they presume that’s when Shaw and Gregg were slain.
“Right now, we’re looking at everything,” Lt. Dan Berglund said. “But there’s nothing to indicate that the incidents are related. We’ll keep investigating.”
On Nov. 11, Shaw shot and wounded one of two intruders during a break-in at his previous apartment, in the 800 block of San Jose Place in Mission Beach.
A trail of blood in an alley led police to Andrew Weisiger, 28, of San Diego, according to court records. He had been shot once in the chest, was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla and recovered, according to the records.
A gorilla mask, handgun and mallet were found around Weisiger, who was wearing gloves, police said.
Weisiger and Ethan Tai Shaw, 20, of San Diego, are accused of attempted robbery and burglary, according to court records. Both have pleaded innocent and both are free on their own recognizance, the court file shows.
Weisiger’s attorney, El Cajon lawyer G. Anthony Gilham, said Thursday that he did not believe Weisiger was involved in Kelly Shaw’s death. Weisiger “never indicated to me any anger toward this person,” meaning Kelly Shaw, Gilham said.
He added, “I just don’t believe Andy would do that.”
Neither Weisiger nor Ethan Tai Shaw could be reached Thursday for comment. Ethan Tai Shaw’s attorney, San Diego lawyer Nicholas DePento, could not be reached for comment.
Kelly Shaw and Ethan Tai Shaw are not related, police and prosecutors said Thursday.
At a preliminary hearing Feb. 8 in the burglary case, Kelly Shaw testified that he fired his 410-gauge shotgun at two intruders after hearing the back door broken down.
“Just as I entered the kitchen, right in front of my refrigerator, about 8 foot away, is a door to the little foyer that goes to the opening where the hallway is,” Kelly Shaw testified, according to a transcript of the hearing. “And there was one person right in the hallway coming through my kitchen door with a gun, and it was--he was all blacked out.
“I had turned out the lights,” Kelly Shaw said. “And then there was another person behind him.”
Prosecutors asked Shaw what he did next. “I said, ‘It’s them,’ and I just squeezed the trigger.”
“And then I watched them a second,” he went on, “and then I ran to the other room. He didn’t fall, and I didn’t know if I hit him. I didn’t know if he had shot me or I shot him, actually. I was shook. And I saw some dust fly out of the front of him.”
Deputy Dist. Atty. Terri Schools, who is prosecuting the burglary case, said Thursday that the trial will go forward, despite the death of the principal witness, Kelly Shaw. Legal rules allow Kelly Shaw’s preliminary hearing testimony to be presented at trial, since it was given under oath, Schools said.
Trial is set for May 13, according to court records.
Times staff writers Russell Ben-Ali and Mark Platte contributed to this story.
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