Accused killer weeps, may face death

During his first court appearance yesterday, May wept and visibly shook but did not enter a plea.

When asked by the judge if he had the money to hire his own attorney, May managed to respond "I don't believe so."

Judge Thomas McGinn Smith agreed that May likely won't be able to afford the defense needed considering the weighty charges against him.

Otherwise, May did not speak during the brief court appearance. When May was asked to enter a plea, a representative from the court's private defender program quickly jumped in to ask that the matter be continued a week until a permanent attorney is appointed.

May spent most of the arraignment weeping, visibly sobbing and shaking his head while the next court date was set. The family of Sharen May, which filled the front row of the court room, were also visibly upset and appeared to be crying. They declined comment on the case and one female member clutched a manila envelope bearing the handwritten name "Sharen."

May allegedly killed his wife minutes after the couple left a mediation session concerning their divorce and the custody of their three children. The Mays were married 13 years with two daughters - ages 8 and 11 - and a 4-year-old son.

Frustrated about the topic of conversation, May reportedly left the meeting first and waited near the elevator at 1777 Borel Place. Sharen May left about 15 minutes later and police say her husband ambushed her in the elevator, stabbing her multiple times until she died.

Police, responding to many calls from witnesses who reported hearing screams for help from the third floor of the building, found May still choking her body at 7:50 p.m., according to the District Attorney's Office.

Court records show Sharen May tried unsuccessfully to receive a restraining order against her husband when she filed for divorce two weeks before her death. She said that her husband repeatedly threatened to take the couple's three young children so that she would never see them again. San Mateo County Supervising Family Law Judge Rosemary Pfeiffer denied the request because she said Lawrence May must first be notified in case he wanted to contest the order.

Sharen May worked as a psychiatric social worker with the county's Human Services Agency. Lawrence May has a few misdemeanor crimes on his record but nothing serious, Wagstaffe said.

If District Attorney Jim Fox seeks the death penalty for May, it may be a first for the county. Wagstaffe said he could not recall an instances in at least the last decade where a suspect faced capital punishment based on the special allegation of lying in wait.

May remains in custody on no-bail status. He returns to court April 6 to enter a plea and identify his court-appointed attorney.

Michelle Durand can be reached by e-mail: michelle@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 104. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.