Pre-trial Set to Begin in Murder-for-Hire Retrial

A pre-trial conference is set for Friday in the attempted murder and conspiracy trial of Mary Sharpski, Michael Shores and Antonio Ortega.

The first trial resulted in a mistrial on May 26 when the jury was unable to reach a verdict, voting 9-3 to convict Ortega, splitting 6-6 on Shores and voting 7-5 to acquit Sharpski.

Ortega, 25, of Santa Ana, along with Sharpski, 48, and Shores, 40, both of Fountain Valley, are charged with plotting to kill Frank Sharpski, known to friends and family as Rick, in March 2009. As part of the alleged conspiracy with Shores and Sharpski, Ortega is accused of attacking Rick Sharpski with a machete in an alley outside of the couple’s home and leaving him to die on the morning of March 3, 2009, fracturing his skull, severing a thumb and fingers, partly severing his nose and causing several other machete wounds.