On February 27, 1991, pornographer Artie Mitchell is shot
to death by his brother Jim at his Marin County California, home. When police
responding to a 911 call by Artie's girlfriend arrived at the house they found
Jim wandering aimlessly outside carrying a .22 rifle. Artie had been shot
multiple times in the chest and head and was already dead. The Mitchell
brothers were ground breaking pioneers in the adult film business and also owned
several popular strip clubs in San Francisco. They produced some of the most
successful porn films of the 1970s that included Behind the Green Door (1972), starring Marilyn Chambers. Despite
their success and lavish lifestyle, the brothers were constantly fighting. Jim
Mitchell claimed that his brother's death resulted from one of these altercations.
However, the prosecution argued that the murder was not from passion but had
been premeditated. At the trial, prosecutors sought to introduce an animated
video that reconstructed the murder. This video showed Jim shooting Artie with
a final shot to the head. The defense attorneys vehemently objected to this
evidence, maintaining that it was impossible to know which shots came at what
time. Despite this major problem with the re-creation, the judge admitted the
video. Although the video was shown to the jury, the defense attacked the
prosecution's forensic experts and forced them to admit that pure speculation
was at the heart of the video presentation. In the end, the jury convicted Jim
Mitchell of manslaughter, instead of first degree murder. He was sentenced to
six years in prison.
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