Weapons charge added in murder case against husband

<p>Prosecutors on Tuesday added an assault weapons possession charge to first-degree murder allegations against a Petaluma man accused in the shooting death of his wife.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>Kenneth Doyle Mullennix, 49, appeared briefly in court, where he received an amended complaint alleging he possessed an SKS assault rifle at his home, where police said he shot and killed 36-year-old Buapha Mullennix on Saturday with a semi-automatic handgun. </p><p>Standing in a blue jail uniform with his hands shackled, Mullennix told Judge Knoel Owen that he needed a court-appointed lawyer and postponed entry of a plea.</p><p>“Yes, I'd like a public defender,” he said calmly.</p><p>A hearing was set for Wednesday morning and the case was transferred to the felony trial department of Judge Kenneth Gnoss.</p><p>Mullennix, a contractor, was arrested Saturday night in his east Petaluma neighborhood after he called 911, reporting that he had just shot and killed his wife of about 10 years, police said.</p><p>Police arrived to find the woman inside with a single gunshot wound. Officers took the couple's daughters, 10 and 18, into protective custody.</p><p>Detectives were still trying to determine a motive behind the shooting of Buapha Mullennix, a native of Thailand. The woman's co-workers at a Petaluma restaurant said the couple had frequent fights.</p><p>On Tuesday, a friend of Mullennix said outside court he was shocked to find out about the case. The friend, who identified himself only as John, said he heard Mullennix was having marital problems but he was not violent.</p><p>“He was a mellow guy,” said John, who claimed to know Mullennix for 20 years. “He wasn't an abusive person at all. This is really shocking.”</p><p>Prosecutor Traci Carrillo said Mullennix faces 50 years to life in prison if convicted of the two charges.</p>