Trial under way for second defendant in knife attack on parents

PORT HURON (AP) -- A trial has started for a 19-year-old accused of fatally stabbing a Michigan man and wounding his wife in an attack prosecutors say was planned in part by the couple's daughter. James Preston's trial began Wednesday in Port Huron. The Times Herald reports it was expected to continue into next week. He's charged with murder, assault with intent to murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Defense lawyer Sharon Parrish says Preston changed his mind about the attack after arriving at the home but participated because he was threatened. Last month, 19-year-old Jonathan Kurtz was convicted of charges including murder in the November stabbings of Paul and Mara Skinner at their home in Yale, about 85 miles northeast of Detroit. Their 18-year-old daughter, Tia Skinner, is scheduled for trial Aug. 9. Published: Fri, Jul 8, 2011