LAS VEGAS, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Nevada prosecutors say jurors at the trial of a woman charged with shooting her son should be told she killed her ex-husband 20 years ago with the same weapon.
Lawyers for Linda Cooney, 64, argue that the 1993 death of her ex-husband, James, a prominent South Florida tax lawyer, is not admissible because she was found not guilty, the (South Florida) Sun Sentinel reported Monday. A jury in Palm Beach County determined she acted in self-defense.
Cooney is now charged in Las Vegas with shooting her son, Kevin Cooney, in 2011, leaving him paralyzed. She was also charged with witness intimidation after allegedly talking to her son on the phone while he was in a hospital.
Prosecutors say Kevin was shot with the same .357 Magnum that killed his father.
Linda Cooney had also allegedly been stalking Karina Taylor, a mixed-martial arts fighter who had become involved with Kevin. Investigators say she sent Taylor text messages calling her "whore" and "succubus," and called the head of a charity where Taylor volunteered, accusing her of drug dealing and money laundering.
A hearing is scheduled Friday on whether testimony on the killing of James Cooney will be admissible.
