PITTSBURGH — The trial began on Tuesday in the death of Karli Short, who was 17 weeks pregnant when she was shot and killed in September 2021.
Channel 11 learned in court that Isaac Smith, the man on trial for her murder, was not the father of Short’s unborn child, according to lab test results from earlier this month.
Four people testified Tuesday, starting with the woman who called 911 after Short’s body was found in an alleyway near her home in McKeesport. We also heard from an associate medical examiner in Allegheny County, who used a demonstrative skill to show where Short was shot in the head.
Jurors also saw autopsy photos of Short’s injuries and crime scene pictures showing how she was found. A retired police detective with Allegheny County said Short was clutching her cell phone in her pocket when she died.
Short is the daughter of former Penn State and NFL football player Brandon Short, who was in the courtroom today. He was visibly distraught seeing some of those pictures. Short’s mother was not in the courtroom when those images were shown.
Smith is charged with two counts of homicide. Nearly a year ago, the Allegheny County District Attorney took the death penalty off the table. This trial is expected to go into next week.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW