May 10, 2007 By Jennifer Harr 1 min read

A Fayette County jury of eight women and four men are deliberating on the fate of a Normalville man accused of killing his estranged wife’s lover on Oct. 19, 2005.

Raymond Prinkey’s attorney asked jurors to acquit him of criminal homicide, claiming that the 50-year-old engineer was acting in self-defense when he shot James Cononico in the head. Cononico, 50, was at Prinkey’s wife’s Connellsville apartment.

Prosecutors have asked jurors to convict Cononico of first-degree murder. To find that, they have to believe that Prinkey premeditated the shooting.

Prinkey testified that Cononico made a move for the 9mm Prinkey had with him and he had to shoot. Prosecutors cited Prinkey’s testimony that he intended to kill Cononico – and told jurors that other testimony indicated Cononico was standing with his back to Prinkey and his hands in the air.

Jurors began deliberations around 12:30 p.m. after hearing the charge of the law from Judge Ralph C. Warman.