Man found guilty of murdering woman, stuffing corpse in suitcase

SAN DIEGO -- (KSWB) -- A verdict was reached Thursday in the trial of a man accused of strangling a woman and stuffing her body into a suitcase.

A jury found 34-year-old Joshua Matthew Palmer guilty of rape and murder. He faces life in prison without parole.

Shauna Haynes' corpse was found in a suitcase that was put out with the trash outside the Chadwick Hotel on A Street in downtown San Diego in April 2016.

Witness Chelsea Shea testified during a preliminary hearing that she had drinks with Palmer at a bar on April 4, 2016, and agreed to go back to his room at the Chadwick Hotel on A Street. She and Palmer were having sex when Haynes arrived with a man named Anthony Kern, Shea testified.

The witness testified that she, Kern and Haynes eventually had sex together, but Palmer “just stood there,” then “told us to leave.”

Shea testified that she left with Kern and asked Haynes if she wanted to come along, but Haynes said she wanted to stay with Palmer.

A few hours after the early morning sexual encounter, Palmer called 911, saying his girlfriend was missing, a detective testified.When contacted, Palmer had red knuckles on both his hands, according to the detective.

Police obtained a search warrant and seized video files from Palmer's phone, showing an unconscious Haynes.

In another clip, Palmer is heard saying, “I'm sorry I love you, but I can't watch you having sex with somebody else. God I'm sorry.”

Prosecutor Martin Doyle alleged that Palmer — who worked with Haynes at the Spaghetti Factory restaurant — stuffed her body into a suitcase and threw it out with the garbage.