Woman Found Guilty As Accessory In Killing

A 22-year-old Palm Desert woman was convicted Tuesday of aiding her twin brother after he allegedly killed a marijuana buyer.

Vanesa Michelle Mihajson was found guilty of being an accessory to a felony in connection with the October 2007 slaying of 36-year-old Palm Springs resident Shalonda Morris.

Her brother, Sean Michael Mihajson, is accused of killing Morris during an apparent drug deal for $7,500. He is awaiting trial on first-degree murder charges.

Mihajson, who was released on her own recognizance, could face up to year in jail when she is sentenced Oct. 18.

Vanesa Mihajson was initially charged with murder, but the charges were
reduced in October 2009 after a judge found insufficient evidence to prove she had any active involvement in the killing.

Morris was last seen on the afternoon of Oct. 12, 2007, when she left
her home in the 61000 block of Wilson Road to meet Sean Mihajson at his Palm Desert condominium, according to the prosecution.   

Deputy District Attorney Pete Nolan told jurors that Vanesa Mihajson knew her sibling planned to lure Morris -- known as ``Shay'' -- to their condo on the pretext of selling her pot.

After Morris disappeared, the Mihajsons, who did not have jobs, rented
rooms at two hotels in the Coachella Valley, then a home in Las Vegas. Morris' body was never found.

Vanesa Mihajson's lawyer, Michael Kennedy, told jurors that law
enforcement investigators contacted his client's friends more than once, and that no one said anything about a drug deal or a planned killing.

City News Service and Jessica E. Davis contributed to this report.