SLO County man charged with murdering his stepmother, injuring father in Shandon stabbing

The man accused of stabbing his stepmother to death and injuring his father Sunday night in Shandon has been charged with murder, attempted murder and assault, court records show.

Justin Tray Buchanan, 31, was arrested early Monday after a five-hour manhunt that caused a shelter-in-place order in the town.

He is accused of killing his stepmother, 44-year-old Kelly Jean Buchanan, and seriously wounding his father, William Louis “Billy” Buchanan, 52, who is recovering at a local hospital.

The stabbing took place around 9 p.m. at Kelly and Billy Buchanan’s Shandon home, where Justin Buchanan was living at the time. Kelly was pronounced dead at the scene.

The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office charged Justin Buchanan with murder, attempted murder and assault.

All three felony charges have added sentencing enhancements for the use of a deadly weapon, in this case a knife.

If convicted of the charges, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.

Buchanan made his first court appearance Thursday, court documents say, but did not enter a plea to his charges. He is scheduled to enter a plea on Aug. 3.

According to court documents, Buchanan has been charged with domestic violence related crimes twice: once in 2013 and again in 2019.

Buchanan was convicted of obstructing or resisting an executive officer, inflicting corporal injury on his then girlfriend, false imprisonment with force and battery on a peace officer in 2013.

In 2019, he was charged with battery on a spouse or cohabitant over a March 2019 incident in Arroyo Grande, against a woman Buchanan was dating and living with at the time.

Court documents also show he was previously diagnosed with major depression with psychiatric features in 2013.

Throughout their lives, Brent Buchanan said, he’s always been extremely close with his brother, trying to help him overcome challenges that could include outbursts of violence, according to those who know him.

“Since he was a kid, there’s been issues,” Brent said of Justin. “He’s been picked on a lot, and he was bullied. He had a lot of troubles trying to fit in.”

Brent Buchanan, Justin’s brother, told The Tribune his mother had always tried to help Justin Buchanan with his mental health struggles.

“She didn’t give up on Justin,” Brent said. “She wanted to help him. She wanted to love him. She wanted to be there for him and was trying everything she could.”