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Jury trial begins for accused Bloomington murder suspect

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — A jury trial is now underway for a man accused of shooting and killing a man at a Bloomington gas station in 2020.

De Juan Lamar Kelley, now 24, was arrested by police in Kansas City, Missouri, on July 28, more than a month after the shooting on June 7, which killed 39-year-old Michael Parker.

Kelley, who was 20 at the time of the shooting, is charged with murder, attempted murder, and carrying a handgun without a license.

According to court documents, around 2 a.m. on June 7, 2020, officers with the Bloomington Police Department responded to a call for a person shot at the Circle S gas station on Walnut Street. Officers arrived and found Parker shot in the neck in the driver’s seat. He was later declared dead at IU Health Bloomington Hospital.

Using witness interviews and security camera footage, police determined that Parker and three women stopped at the gas station to use the bathroom, while Parker sat in the car at one of the gas pumps.

While inside, the women reported a group of men entered the store, who they recognized as Kelley. One of the women told police she used to be in a relationship with Kelley about half a year before the shooting, and that there was still ongoing tension. Kelley and the woman reportedly began shouting at one another before Kelley allegedly pulled out a gun.

Court documents say surveillance footage shows the three women then leave the gas station, and Kelley followed, going around the back side of the car to the driver-side door. Kelley then allegedly fired two to three shots into the vehicle, hitting and killing Parker, before Kelley running south from the gas station. Police reported finding two 9mm shell casings at the scene.

The trial is expected to last through the end of the week. If convicted, Kelley could face up to 65 years in prison on the murder charge, and anywhere from 20-40 years for the attempted murder charge.