EASLEY ─ The man accused of the 2006 murder of an Easley pawn shop owner will go on trial in Pickens Monday, according to Clerk of Court Pat Welborn.

Roger Eugene Shepard, formerly of Williamston, is accused of killing John Larry Bruin, 65, who was owner of Action Pawn Shop at 604 W. Main Street.

Police say the shooting took place during a robbery on June 15, 2006.

When the arrived at the scene, they said they found Bruin lying face down behind one of the counters, according to the police report.

Bruin’s wife, Betty Bruin was hiding in a safe near the back of the store, the report stated.

Video surveillance footage showed a man enter the store and shoot Bruin, hop over the counter with a black bag, and put what appeared to be handguns from the counter into it,” according to the report.

The report also states that the footage shows a man point a gun at Betty Bruin and fire two shots at her as she ran toward the back of the store.

Shepherd was identified as a suspect in the case after police released security video footage of the robber and a description of the car the robber was driving at the time.

He was later captured and arrested in connection with the crime in Montreal, Canada, where authorities refused to return him to the United States for 23 months because he could possibly face the death penalty.

Shepherd was charged with murder, assault and battery with intent to kill, and armed robbery in connection with the case, according to Easley police.

He was extradited back to Easley in May 2008 after Thirteenth Circuit Solicitor Bob Ariail made an agreement with Canadian authorities not to seek the death penalty.

“The Canadian government would grant release of Roger Eugene Shepherd only if we guaranteed that Shepherd would not face the death penalty,” Ariail said at the time of the extradition.

Ariail said he met with Bruin’s family and discussed the obstacle.

“They agreed with me that there was no reasonable alternative to having Shepherd returned to Pickens County for prosecution,” he said.