In Mercer, attorneys picked 12 jurors and 4 alternates for the trial of a Kentucky man accused of killing his friend's uncle at a northwestern Pennsylvania cattle ranch. Prosecutors said he shot Jack Fuellhart on June 21 in Crown, Clarion County. Fuellhart's nephew, David, was convicted of 1st degree homicide last month and will be sentenced to life in prison. Authorities will seek the death penalty if Menefee is convicted. Jurors were picked in Mercer County Monday and Tuesday because of news stories about Fuellhart's death and teh cross-country flight of David Fuellhart and Menefee from Pennsylvania to Michigan, Texas and their arrest in Arizona.
Lethal injection is the method of execution in Pennsylvania.
The jury was seated after 2 days of a selection process, despite defense arguments that defendant Rayshawn Johnson cannot get a fair trial in Cincinnati. The defense says pretrial publicity likely has prompted jurors to form opinions about whether Johnson is guilty. Pandilidis asked Judge Robert Ruehlman to move the trial to another county, but the judge declined. Prosecutors opposed the request. During jury selection, several prospective jurors said they had seen articles or television reports about Ms. Marks' death and about statements Johnson made to police.