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Father Faces Wife In Steamboat Springs Murder Hearing

Lisa Lesyshen In Court
Lisa Lesyshen in court on Nov. 13, 2013. (credit: CBS)

DENVER (CBS4) - A paralyzed mother heard the evidence against her on Wednesday as prosecutors build a case to try her for the murder of her son.

Investigators say Lisa Lesyshen admitted to killing her 9-year-old son Asher Lesyshen-Kirlan in May before trying to kill herself.

The pre-trial hearing got underway in a Denver courtroom Wednesday morning even though the murder happened in the Steamboat Springs area.

Michael Kirlan
Michael Kirlan during testimony in court on Nov. 13, 2013. (credit: CBS)

Lesyshen is a paraplegic due to an injury police say she caused when she shot herself in the neck on the night of May 28. That followed what Routt County prosecutors say was the crime of shooting of her son while he was in his bed. Police believe she shot her son four times.

She was transported to Denver for treatment afterwards and it's currently too expensive to return her to Routt County.

Lesyshen was in the process of separating from Michael Kirlan -- her husband of more than 20 years and Lesyshen-Kirlan's father.

Kirlan said during testimony on Wednesday that he was in the house when the murder happened. He said he went to his son's room and saw his son moments after he had been shot and right after Lesyshen had left his room.

Asher Lesyshen-Kirlan
Asher Lesyshen-Kirlan with his father (credit: CBS)

He said he held his son as he was bleeding and dying.

"I was holding him and I noticed that he stopped breathing. His chest stopped moving," Kirlan said tearfully.

Kirlin told the court that his wife told him that night that "I did this to hurt you."

A sergeant with the Routt County Sheriff's office also took the stand. A recording of his interview with Lesyshen a day after the shooting was played in the courtroom and in it Lesyshen can be heard admitting she shot herself and her son. That confession allegedly took place before Lesyshen was read her Miranda rights.

The judge will have to decide if that admission will be admitted in the courtroom as part of evidence for a possible trial.

RELATED: Father Opens Up About Wife's Alleged Murder Of Their Son

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