The trial in two of Omaha’s most notorious killings started on Monday, and jury selection started the process.
Anthony Garcia is accused of killing Thomas Hunter and Shirlee Sherman in Dundee in 2008, and Dr. Roger and Mary Brumback in 2013.
The jury pool consists of 128 people who will be questioned over the next several days and each juror will be asked four questions.
One, do they have issues with the potential length of the trial, it is predicted to go four to six weeks. Monday morning several people raised their hands they would have an issue.
Two, how much media coverage have they seen. 109 of the potential jurors raised their hands saying they have seen some type of coverage.
Three, can they handle being sequestered during jury deliberation?
And four, what are their thoughts on the death penalty, a handful did raise their hands saying there are opposed to the death penalty.
“The big one was the media that has been generated by this case, fairly high profile,” said John Friends, Douglas County Clerk for District Court
Each potential juror will be given a number and will be interviewed individually by the judge and attorney, Garcia will be present for jury selection.
“Once we weed out issues relative to those four questions, we will re-do a randomized list and then we will seat 48 people,” said Friend.
Once 48 have been chose, the attorneys will talk to them again and get the number down to 12 with alternates, so opening arguments can begin next week.
On Monday they interviews the first 32 potential jurors.
It is predicted the interview process will take all week.
