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RENO, Nev. (AP) — Jury selection begins Monday at the murder trial for an elderly Sparks man who claims he was acting in self-defense when he fatally shot an unarmed trespasser in a case that has brought attention to Nevada's "stand-your-ground" law.
Prosecutors maintain Wayne Burgarello was acting out of revenge, not self-defense, when he armed himself with two handguns before he entered the abandoned duplex he owns and opened fire on two trespassers without provocation.
The 74-year-old retired school teacher shot Cody Devine five times, killing him, and Janai Wilson three times on Feb. 13, 2014. Wilson survived and is expected to testify at the trial.
Nevada law allows property owners who fear for their lives to use deadly force, but not if they are the initial aggressor.
Washoe District Judge Patrick Flanagan expects the trial to last about two weeks.
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