Mostly cloudy skies. Low 59F. Winds light and variable..

Mostly cloudy skies. Low 59F. Winds light and variable.

PONTIAC — An attorney for Clifford Brewer told jurors during opening statements in Brewer’s triple-homicide trial that his wife, Shirley, was the one who shot and killed the couple’s son and a neighbor before turning the gun and shooting herself on Dec. 25, 2019.

Brewer is charged with six counts of first-degree murder.

The victims were Shirley Brewer, 48, the couple’s son, Christian Brewer 27, and a neighbor, Norman Walker, 51.

The shooting occurred in the Brewers’ home in Cullom.

Attorney Stephen Richards said during opening arguments Tuesday that Brewer told him he was asleep. The attorney said that when Brewer woke up, he found his wife alive and with a gun, according to media reports.

Brewer then tried to get the gun away from Shirley Brewer but it went off, hitting her and killing her, Richards was reported to have said in opening arguments.

All three victims were each shot once in the head, according to prosecutors.

Livingston County State’s Attorney Randy Yedinak said Brewer called the non-emergency number to report there had been a shooting, media reports said.

Yedinak said when officers arrived, they found the Brewers’ washing machine was running, set to sanitize on extra high heat. A raincoat, hat, blanket and pair of slippers were later removed from the washing machine, according to media reports.

The trial is expected to last two weeks.

 The trial of Clifford Brewer, who is accused of killing three people in 2019, began Monday in Livingston County Court with the selection of the jury.

Clifford W. Brewer, who is charged in the shooting deaths of his wife, son and a neighbor in Cullom on Christmas Day, pleaded not guilty to six counts of first-degree murder on Thursday.

Clifford Brewer talked to his daughter about the events that occurred on Dec. 24-25, 2019, during a videotaped conversation they had at the Livingston County jail a week after he was arrested on charges of killing his wife, son and a neighbor.

Jeff Bonty has worked for The Daily Journal since September 1986, starting in the sports department before moving to news reporting in 2002. He's a native of Indiana and graduate of Purdue University. His email is jbonty@daily-journal.com.

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