Murder, Not Self-Defense, in Actor’s Stabbing Trial

Shelley Malil, a character actor known for his work in "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," is facing 14 years to life in prison at his November 18 sentencing for attempted murder, as reported by Fox 5 San Diego.

Malil, 45, stabbed his ex-girlfriend, Kendra Beebe, 38, over 20 times. 

Keith Watanabe, prosecutor in the case, was pleased with the jury verdict and said, "We had an intelligent, logical jury. His testimony was completely unbelievable and the jury rejected it. This case is every woman's worst nightmare -- an ex-lover showing up at her house with a knife to kill her."

Watanabe closed his arguments with the jury by telling them about the amount of evidence against Beebe - evidence that was insurmountable proof of Malil's guilt.

Matthew Roberts, Malil's defense attorney, showed that Beebe herself had a history of violence, and lacked credibility as she had lied under oath in a family court deposition.

Watanabe contended, however, that Beebe was telling the truth about the August 10, 2008 attack.

Roberts, in his closing arguments, told jurors that Malil only "overreacted" in acting in self-defense and did not premeditate his attack.

Malil testified that he only went to see Beebe to apologize for a series of his actions - he was sorry to have left her and her cousin the night before at the beach, for breaking into her home to steal personal items and marijuana, and for e-mailing nude photographs of them together to her co-workers.

Malil admitted that he arrived at her home unannounced, went through her sliding glass door and found her in her backyard enjoying wine with a man he didn't recognize. The man has since been identified as being David Maldonado.

When Malil approached Beebe, he accidentally stepped on her toe and she screamed out. 

Malil then reported that he fell over onto a table and heard Maldonado's chair move.  Malil grabbed a steak knife that was in the table area.  He claims to have been ready to defend himself from any attack Maldonado might have been planning.  The men struggled and the knife flew over the yard's fence.

Malil thought that Maldonado had gone to his car to retrieve a gun. He tried to call 911, but finding the phone dead, reached for a butcher knife in the kitchen.

He ran outside, searching to see Maldonado's return, and was struck on the head from behind and fell to the ground.  After a second blow he put his hands up - still grasping the knife - to defend himself.

Malil said he never heard a scream, and never knew it was Beebe that he was defending himself from, until he heard someone calling 911.

Malil said, "I was freaking out, my hands were moving 100 miles per hour. I was poking and swinging as hard as I could. I wasn't aiming for anything. I was hoping to find space between me and who was attacking me."

When a neighbor told Malil to put his knife down he did, but then he got in his car and drove back to his Sherman Oaks home.

The couple dated for approximately one year, off and on, and had met over the Internet.

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