Suspect in double-murder trial casts blame on sibling

One of the suspects in the slayings of a community activist and a mother of three pointed the finger at his half-brother during testimony Friday.

While Christopher Miller did not outright pin the deaths of innocent bystanders Gino Nicolas, 24, and Tanya Skeen, 46, on Lavon Shinn, he denied leaving in the suspect’s car — and said that Shinn did. Four other people were injured in the drive-by shooting outside a Parramore apartment complex in April 2016.

He also said Shinn had access to his guns. The murder weapon was found under Shinn’s bed.

“So today you are throwing your brother under the bus,” prosecutor James Altman asked at the beginning of his crossexamination of Miller.

Miller shifted in his chair and said, “Excuse me?” and his attorney objected.

Shinn, who did not take the stand, remained expressionless throughout the testimony.

Miller testified that he was awoken by Shinn, who was upset because he had been beaten up and robbed at a club in downtown Orlando.

He said his brother switched cars with a friend because he didn’t want the people he was having trouble with to recognize him. Miller said that after talking with Shinn, he went inside to get dressed.

When he came outside, the Chevy Malibu was gone. But that’s not what he told Orlando police detectives — he told them the car never left the parking lot.

Miller called the discrepancy a “typo” or a “mistake” on the interview transcript.

He said he went downtown, where he met up with his brother later and they made a Facebook video outside a pizza parlor.

Altman said the video was made as an alibi, which Miller denied.

Closing arguments and jury deliberations are expected Monday.