Woman testifies man videotaped shooting lawyer threatened to kill her

By: Associated Press | Friday, December 30, 2005 9:25 PM PST ∞

LOS ANGELES -- A woman charged with overseeing a trust for a man accused of shooting a lawyer outside a courthouse told jurors Friday he had previously threatened to kill her.

Evelyn Murphy, who supervised a $100,000 trust for William Strier, testified that the Thousand Oaks resident threatened to take her life during a phone call two months before the October 2003 shooting of probate attorney Gerald Curry outside the Van Nuys courthouse.

"It was very traumatic to be told I was going to die, that he was going to kill me, that he was going to strap me down," Murphy told jurors. "I've never had that happen before or since."

Defense attorney Arna Zlotnick questioned why Murphy failed to immediately press charges against Strier after the threatening call, suggesting perhaps she hadn't taken Strier's threat seriously.

"When somebody repeats over and over and over, 'I'm going to kill you,' I took it seriously," Murphy said. "I did not say I did not want to prosecute."

A count of making a criminal threat was filed against Strier after the courthouse shooting. The 66-year-old is also on trial on charges of attempted murder and faces a maximum sentence of life plus 25 years in prison if convicted.

Curry, 55, recovered from bullet wounds to his neck, arms and shoulder.

Zlotnick has argued that Strier suffered a psychotic breakdown caused in part by a drug he took for lingering back pain from a car accident.

Prosecutors have argued Strier shot Curry because he was upset with the outcome of a hearing on the management of his trust money -- funds Strier received after he was struck by a car.

On the day of the shooting, a judge had ordered Strier to pay fees to Curry and Murphy.

The incident was caught on video by TV camera operators who were at the courthouse to cover a hearing in the murder case involving actor Robert Blake.

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