During a preliminary hearing Monday, prosecutors presented an eyewitness who said he saw one defendant striking a 62-year-old man before he died.

Prosecutors accuse Jerod Buffalohead, 36, and Shanna Friday, 37, of beating Jerry Deshazer to death in his mobile home Feb. 2 at Brookwood Mobile Home Park, 1908 E. 19th St.

Jarvis Jones, 31, who was inside the house, claimed he woke up from a drunken sleep and saw Buffalohead punching Deshazer, who sat in a recliner.

A Lawrence police detective also testified that Buffalohead changed his story several times until he admitted to trying to separate Deshazer and Friday during an alcohol-fueled financial dispute. Buffalohead told police he back-handed and punched Deshazer three times and that Friday struck him with a glass bottle.

“He mentioned that what he did was in self-defense and in defense of (Friday),” Detective Jack Cross said.

Buffalohead said Deshazer declined an ambulance and was alive when he left the house.

Detective Lance Flachsbarth testified that Friday told him when he was driving her to Lawrence for an interview that she was having “nightmares about what had taken place.” She also said she struck Deshazer three times with her hand, Flachsbarth said.

Neighbors and relatives have said Deshazer often took people into his home. Friday had been living there at the time of his death.

Douglas County District Court Judge Robert Fairchild will decide whether the accused should face a trial on intentional second-degree murder charges. The medical examiner is scheduled to testify this morning.