Emergency pre-trial hearing called in Shon Pernice murder case

UPDATE | Shon Pernice pleaded guilty Tuesday afternoon to voluntary manslaughter in the death of his wife, who disappeared more than three years ago.

LIBERTY, Mo. - An emergency pre-trial hearing in the Shon Pernice murder case was held Tuesday afternoon.

Shon Pernice is accused of murdering his wife, Renee Pernice. She was last seen on Jan. 1, 2009. Her body was never found, but prosecutors said they have sufficient evidence for a conviction.

It’s some of that evidence that was the focus of a pre-trial hearing last week.

Shon Pernice’s attorney wants two issues suppressed – information obtained from a GPS tracking device placed on his vehicle in the days after his wife’s disappearance and information obtained from his cellphone.

A Supreme Court ruling last month stated a warrant must be obtained before placing a GPS on someone’s vehicle, resulting in the overturning of a 2005 conviction in Washington.

A lead detective in the case has testified about the five-to-seven detectives assigned to the case and the information obtained through the GPS.

The defense wants that information thrown out because they say police never had a warrant to place it on Shon Pernice’s vehicle.

A police sergeant told the court that police placed the device on his vehicle on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009 through Jan. 15.

On Feb. 15, the judge overseeing the hearing made no decision and asked both sides to file briefs in support of their positions.

Pernice's trial date is slated for Feb. 27.

At the time, police said, they believed Shon Pernice would lead them to his wife’s body.