Clearlake man, cleared in one slaying, convicted of murder in another

<p>A Clearlake man who gained national attention in 2005 for killing two men as they fled a break-in at his home was found guilty Thursday of second-degree murder for another killing.</p><p>Shannon Edmonds, 35, was convicted of Thursday of using a knife to kill Shelby Uehling, 25. He also was found guilty of charges that he assaulted the victim with a police baton and inflicted great bodily injury.</p><p>Edmonds faces 15 years to life in prison, said Lake County Deputy District Attorney Art Grothe, who prosecuted the case.</p><p>Edmond's co-defendant, Melvin Dale Norton, 38, was convicted of being an accessory to murder and assault with a golf club. Because he has two prior “strike” convictions, Norton likely is facing 25 years to life in prison, Grothe said.</p><p>Uehling was stabbed and beaten to death Sept. 22 along Old Highway 53 in Clearlake.</p><p>Prosecutors said that Edmonds killed Uehling because he had been phoning and texting his girlfriend. Uehling had had a week-long, drug-fueled relationship when Edmonds and the woman were separated.</p><p>Five years ago, Edmonds gained notoriety for killing two of three Bay Area men he said had broken into his residence.</p><p>He shot to death Christian Foster, 22, of San Francisco, and Rashad Williams, 21, of Pittsburg and Clearlake, during what police said was a botched marijuana robbery at Edmonds' home.</p><p>The third intruder, Renato Hughes, of San Francisco, was charged with their deaths under a law that holds someone responsible if they participate in a crime likely to result in death.</p><p>The intruders reportedly were armed and during a scuffle with the home's residents they injured several people, including a teenage boy who was permanently disabled.</p><p>The vigilante-style deaths and subsequent trial raised allegations of racism because Edmonds is white and both Williams and Foster were black.</p><p>At trial, Hughes was cleared of murder charges but a jury found him guilty of burglary and assault.</p><p>Edmonds testified the men were after his medical marijuana.</p><p>But the defense contended Edmonds was a violent drug dealer.</p><p>Hughes' Bay Area defense attorney, Stuart Hanlon, also contended that it was Edmonds who should have been on trial for murder.</p><p>On Thursday, he reiterated that belief.</p><p>“I always thought that Shannon Edmonds was a really dangerous man who should have been prosecuted,” Hanlon said.</p><p>He said he was not surprised Edmonds killed again.</p><p>“He got away with killing these two young men,” he said.</p>