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Peter Khill’s wife testifies at second degree murder trial of Jonathan Styres
Melinda Khill, Peter Khill’s girlfriend at the time of the murder, now wife testified on Wednesday about what happened in Binbrook in 2016. Peter Khill shot and killed Jonathan Styres who was allegedly trying to steal Peter’s pickup truck. Peter Khill is charged with second-degree murder.
READ MORE: Jury hears suggestion that Khill acted in self-defence against Styres
The jury heard the 911 call Melinda Khill made at approximately 3 a.m. on February 4th, 2016. “I just watched from the window. There was someone who was trying to steal the truck, and we just woke up to a sound and, and then there was someone – I, I don’t really know, I just…” Melinda said. The 911 operator asked who was shot and Melinda replied, “the person trying to steal the truck.”
Melinda Khill said her boyfriend, now her husband shot the man, “my boyfriend, he went out with the shotgun just ’cause we were both scared from the noise we heard and, and I….” The accused, Peter Khill then came on the phone, “I just did CPR for, for probably six or seven minutes and he’s got nothing. No pulse. No, he has no pulse,” Peter Khill said.
The jury heard Peter describe the incident during the 911 call, “he was gasping for air, so I was trying to do CPR on him… he was in the truck with his hands up and not like, not with his hands up to surrender, but his hands up pointing at me. It was pitch black, and it looked like he was literally about to shoot me, so I shot him. Yeah. I, I mean I didn’t want to lose my life, so…..”
Peter Khill has pleaded not guilty in the death of 29-year-old Jonathan Styres.
Along with the 911 call, Melinda Khill was also questioned by lawyers and told them she was terrified of living in her rural home. She described what appeared to be two attempts to break into her house while she was there alone and said the neighbourhood was known for break-ins.
Melinda Khill testified that on the morning of the shooting, she heard two bangs at about 3 a.m. Melinda said she woke Peter and there were two more bangs, the dashboard lights were on in Peter’s pickup truck from the window, and she could see a figure in the truck. Khill went outside with the shotgun. Melinda said she’d never seen Peter so scared. Melinda heard muffled yelling outside then she heard “a bone-chilling bang” and saw gun sparks. She didn’t know whether Peter was still alive until he came into the house.
The Crown prosecutor asked a number of times why Melinda didn’t call 911. She replied that she was in shock and she didn’t know what was happening. Melinda added that the neighbourhood had a reputation for police taking a long time to arrive when they were called. She also said having to go through the details of that night, again and again, is like being tortured, like being waterboarded, and is agonizing.
