Murder or self-defense is a question a local jury is setting out to decide this week in the case of a local Newberry man and his estranged, deceased wife.

Daniel Harris, 57, of 208 Folk Road, is accused of murdering Sharon Lawson Harris, 50, of Whitmire on Jan. 8, 2007.

The afternoon of Jan. 8, 2007, Daniel Harris and his brother went to the Sheriff’s Office saying Daniel Harris had shot his wife.

Deputies went to the home and found Sharon Harris lying on the kitchen floor with gun shots to her leg, side and head.

OPENING ARGUMENTS

Daniel Harris’ attorney, Rhett Burney, says five months earlier, Sharon Harris went to Daniel Harris’ home and beat him with a pool cue and ripped his shirt off.

Sharon Harris was arrested by force, in that instance, and Daniel Harris got a restraining order and filed for divorce.

The weekend before her death, Sharon and Daniel Harris had been to church together and out on Saturday, according to Deputy Solicitor Jack Hammack.

Burney claims that on Jan. 8, 2007, Sharon Harris went to her estranged husband’s home for money and he told her he had an appointment to see a guardian ad litem about the custody of the couple’s three children.

Burney is claiming that Sharon left in a rage and came back to the home. She broke in a storm door, pointed a gun at Daniel Harris and told him he was going to die, Burney says.

A struggle ensued and as the two fought for the gun it went off, killing Sharon Harris, according to the defense.

Hammack said Harris told them the same story, but his story did not match the evidence.

The state will fight to convince the jury that the struggle was staged and hair found around the kitchen was cut and not pulled. They will present blood splatter patterns that the prosecution says prove Sharon Harris was already on the floor when she was shot in the head and leg.

Also argued will be that Daniel Harris hid his clothing, gun, gun case and ammunition in a well across the road from his house. He also had a large amount of cash and travelers checks in his possession when he went to the Sheriff’s Office.

Burney says after the shots were fired his client acted in a panic, drove to his brother’s house, then to the magistrate’s office. At the magistrate’s office, Harris said he shot his wife, and was sent from Louis Rich Road to the Sheriff’s Office on Wilson Road.

Burney told the jury this is not a case of “who dunnit“ but they needed to apply the law to the facts and his client acted in self-defense.

The state plans to call at least 20 witnesses and as of yesterday afternoon, the court had heard from about 11 witnesses, said Hammack.

The trial is not expected to run long and may end before the weekend.

Judge Garrison Hill of Greenville has extended court time until around 6 each evening.