Shavelle Chavez-Nelson, whose first-degree murder trial in the death last year of Palagor Jobi is to start Monday, fired his defense attorneys Thursday.
Dakota County District Judge Kathryn Messerich refused to delay the trial. Nelson can hire a private attorney, represent himself or let the judge appoint an attorney.
Nelson, 32, is charged with first- and second-degree murder. Jobi, 23, of Savage, was shot to death in the early morning of Sept. 22, 2013, in the parking lot of Nina's Bar and Grill in Burnsville. Nelson had gone to the bar with his girlfriend, Ashley Conrade, and his former girlfriend, Anarae Schunk.
He apparently became jealous that Jobi was talking to Conrade inside the bar, court documents said. Nelson and Jobi got into a brief fistfight in the parking lot shortly before 2 a.m. and Nelson allegedly pulled a gun and shot Jobi, according to the criminal complaint. When Jobi fell, Nelson allegedly shot him several more times in the head.
Nelson also faces charges of first-degree murder in the death of Schunk, 20, a University of Minnesota student. She was last seen alive at Conrade's townhouse in Rosemount after Jobi's death; her body was found nine days later in a roadside ditch near Lonsdale.
Nelson fired public defenders Brenda Lightbody and Erin Carey, who were representing him in both cases. His trial in connection with Schunk's death is tentatively scheduled for next spring.
Lightbody said Thursday that Nelson apparently disagreed with them about strategy.
"I don't know if he's going to hire somebody," she said.
