Jury watches video of killing as capital murder trial begins

A Travis County courtroom stood still this morning as a jury watched the rarest of evidence in a capital murder case: video of the killing.

It came from the dashboard camera of Austin police officer Joseph Hernandez, who had come to an Exxon station on South Lamar Boulevard last year after Virginia Samuelson called 911 to say she had been beaten by her mentally ill son.

Hernandez was heard on the video interviewing Samuelson, 72, about the incident. She told him that her son, Shaun Samuelson - who she said lived in Buda, had schizoaffective disorder and was “just plain mean” - had struck her in the face when she met him across the street earlier that evening to give him money.Shop our large selection of authentic breitlingwatches at fantastic. She told Hernandez that Shaun Samuelson drove a large black pickup.Complete your look with designer pnikeairshoes from Barneys New York.What we see and hear enough of, we buy shoes001 into – often.

Minutes later - at 7:18 p.m. on Sept. 29, 2011 — the loud screeching of tires rang out on the video.Authorised swisswatches Stockists. Large Mens Breitling Watch range.

Hernandez’s car had been pointed away from Virginia Samuelson so it did not show that she had been loaded onto a stretcher when a black pickup driven by her son came speeding at her, Hernandez testified.

The video did show the pickup come into view and drive onto nearby Lamar Square Drive. The stretcher was caught under the front part of Shaun Samuelson’s Ford pickup and a body fell into the road.

Moments later, an officer approached the body and repeatedly exclaimed: “Oh, my God.”

The body was that of Virginia Samuelson, who was pronounced dead by a paramedic moments later.

At least one juror and several spectators in state District Judge Jim Coronado wiped tears from their eyes as they watched the video.

Two paramedics and police officers, including Hernandez, narrowly escaped being hit by the truck, Hernandez said.

Samuelson, 46, drove a short distance down Lamar Square Drive before he stopped, got out of the car and raised his hands in the air before being quickly arrested, Hernandez said.

Prosecutor Judy Shipway told jurors during her opening statement that after his arrest, Shaun Samuelson told police that he saw his mother drive to the convenience store and “realized that I was not going to see the light of day again.”

Quoting Samuelson, Shipway continued: “I was not going to let that bitch … get away with it — healthy, happy and free while I was in prison.”

Samuelson was temporarily declared incompetent to stand trial in November but later was declared competent. His mental health records are not publicly available.