Murder trial for convicted teen’s ex-boyfriend to begin

Opening statements are expected Thursday morning in the murder trial of Ian Allen, 23, of Huntington Beach, accused of the fatal stabbing of Barbara Mullenix, his former girlfriend’s mother. That former girlfriend, Rachael Mullenix, 19, was convicted for her part in the same murder in July and faces 25 years to life in prison.

Allen is charged with murder and a sentencing enhancement for personal use of a deadly weapon, and faces a maximum sentence of 26 years to life.

Barbara Mullenix’s body washed ashore near the Newport Harbor Yacht Club on Sept. 13, 2006, covered in stab wounds, authorities said. A butter knife — not the only weapon used, forensics experts said — was found in her eye.

In her trial, Rachael Mullenix told jurors Allen was the real culprit, and that she had stood by in shock as he stabbed her mother to death. But they convicted her of first-degree murder anyway, though they didn’t find she necessarily held the knife herself.

— Michael Alexander