Octogenarian Convicted Of Murder In PS Senior's Brutal Bludgeoning

PALM SPRINGS, CA — An 82-year-old man who fatally bludgeoned a senior at her and her husband's Palm Springs home, where he was staying as a guest, was convicted Tuesday of second-degree murder.

A Banning jury deliberated just over two days before finding Stephen Roy McKernan guilty of the murder count and a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony in the 2019 slaying of 75-year-old Claire Carsman.

Riverside County Superior Court Judge Samuel Diaz scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 6 at the Banning Justice Center. McKernan, who is being held without bail at the Smith Correctional Facility, is facing 16 years to life in state prison.

Deputy District Attorney Steven Sorensen acknowledged in his closing statement last week that "we don't know why Mr. McKernan did it." But the prosecutor said testimony had revealed there were political differences between the defendant and victim – she a Democrat, he a Republican.

"She was watching one of her TV shows, and they bickered," Sorensen said. "He had a sadistic reason."

Defense attorney Michael Selyem said in his closing that his client "found Claire Carsman like that. There's no doubt she was murdered, but it was not done by him."

The attorney contended that investigators could never determine exactly what had transpired, or whether Carsman and McKernan were the only ones in the house at the time of the crime on April 22, 2019.

Selyem emphasized that his client was wearing a cast while healing from a broken arm, leaving him unable to lift heavy objects, like the bar stool that investigators confirmed had been used in the deadly assault.

"He drank wine, a quantity not known even to him, and he was taking Ativan," Selyem told the jury.

Ativan is used to treat anxiety disorders and can lead to drowsiness.

The defendant had known Carsman and her husband, Barry, for years, leading to the invitation to stay with them, beginning April 20, 2019.

The victim's spouse headed to an area casino in the early afternoon of April 22, leaving his wife and McKernan alone at the single-story residence at 360 W. Pico Road. Sorensen said nothing was amiss until 5:53 p.m., when Barry received a rapid succession of four calls from McKernan in under 10 minutes, all of which he missed.

One of the voicemail messages was replayed for the jury, during which McKernan was heard saying, "It's a nightmare you've never been in your life. I need you to stay away so you're not in any danger. We got attacked. We need your attorney. Jesus Christ."

"She was bludgeoned," Sorensen said, adding that blood spatter covering the defendant's clothes and shoes indicated he "had to hold the bar stool facing Mrs. Carsman."

Selyem said his client suffered cognitive impairment from a stroke, and he had an affinity for alcoholic beverages, but he was known as a "happy drunk."

"He was safe around Mrs. Carsman," the attorney said, dismissing the prosecution's allegation that a disagreement over a news program may have ignited a conflict that turned fatal.

McKernan reached a 911 dispatcher, saying "We had a break-in. I think someone is dead."

Barry and the police arrived to find a grisly scene.

McKernan was taken into custody without incident. One witness testified that his pants were unbuttoned and his belt had been hanging loose when officers encountered him standing outside the residence. However, there was no evidence of a sexual assault.

The defendant has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.