Prosecutors say Vernon Thomas was a jealous husband who shot his estranged wife in a fit of rage when he saw her talking to another man.
His defense attorney says Thomas acted in self-defense and tragically killed his beloved 23-year-old wife when the man she was with used her as a human shield while he shot at Thomas.
A Broward jury got to hear both perspectives on the case Friday during opening statements in Thomas’s trial.
Thomas, 30, a former Broward schools security guard, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Shevella Thomas and attempted first-degree murder in the shooting of Arthur “J.C.” Knight. Shevella Thomas was killed May 3, 1998 as she chatted with Knight outside her parents’ Lauderhill home.
Prosecutor Deborah Zimet told the jury that Thomas was a jealous husband who was distraught at the breakup of his marriage a few months earlier. He had taken to showing up at friends’ homes in the early hours of the morning telling them he needed to talk about the relationship.
Just the day before Shevella Thomas was shot, Zimet said friends heard Vernon Thomas threaten to kill his wife.
Witnesses are expected to testify that Thomas saw yelled at Knight when he saw Knight and Shevella Thomas talking. He returned a short time later in someone else’s car, Zimet said, shot his wife and Knight, then fled and dumped the gun.
The couple’s 1-year-old daughter was asleep inside the house during the shooting. The gun has never been recovered.
Thomas’s attorney, Johnny McCray Jr., said Thomas had no motive to kill his wife. He said Thomas plans to testify that Knight pulled a gun and shot at him and that he fired back in self-defense, but the bullets fatally hit his wife and only injured Knight.
Shevella Thomas was hit by four bullets. Zimet said Thomas later surrendered.
Knight denies having a gun at the time and no gun was found at the scene, but McCray said Knight has a felony conviction for weapon possession and was arrested before and after the shooting for illegally carrying a concealed weapon.
“The evidence is going to show that Vernon Thomas wanted his wife. The evidence is not going to show that Vernon Thomas wanted his wife dead,” McCray said.
Paula McMahon can be reached at or 954-356-4533.
