Thread: Judge Stops Jury Selection In Lunsford Murder Trial

Judge Stops Jury Selection In Lunsford Murder Trial
Man Accused Of Kidnapping, Raping, Burying Child Alive
POSTED: 12:21 pm EDT July 13, 2006
UPDATED: 12:41 pm EDT July 13, 2006


TAVARES, Fla. -- The judge in the murder trial of a man accused of killing 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford last year has stopped jury selection, because he said an impartial panel can't be found in the area.
Almost a dozen potential jurors were dismissed earlier Thursday, because they were exposed to publicity or other information about the case since the process began earlier this week.
John Couey is charged with first-degree murder, sexual battery on a child, kidnapping and burglary. He has pleaded not guilty
This was the fourth day attorneys tried to seat a jury of 12 plus four alternates.
Jury selection had already been moved to Tavares in Lake County, Fla., because of pervasive publicity on the case in Citrus County, Fla., where the crimes occurred and where Jessica's body was found.
Earlier this week, the defense asked the judge to keep the jury from seeing photographs of the girl's body.
Lunsford was found last year buried with her stuffed dolphin behind a mobile home, which was across the street from her house in Homosassa, Fla. She had been kidnapped from her bedroom weeks earlier. The day before her body was found, Couey told investigators where to look.
An autopsy found that the third-grader was alive when she was buried in garbage bags with her hands bound by speaker wire. The medical examiner ruled she died of asphyxiation.
The defense said the photos of her body are "difficult to look at" and would be prejudicial.
Meanwhile, prosecutors said previously that they were confident they have enough evidence to convict Couey.
The state's job to convict Couey was made more difficult when the judge ruled last month that his taped confession could not be used as evidence in the trial. Investigators had ignored his requests for an attorney.
But the judge did rule that prosecutors can still use the discovery of Jessica's body buried outside the mobile home where Couey had been living. He said they could also use a bloody mattress from the mobile home that has Jessica's DNA on it.
The judge had said that other incriminating statements he made later to investigators and a jail guard also can be used during the trial.
http://www.wxii12.com/news/9511972/deta ... 0407132006

maybe they should move this man's trial to Timbucto, who has not heard of this henious crime this man committed against this little innocent girl? This man is lower then any animal we have in that Kindgom. If I were a possible juror in that trial I could not in all good conscience say I could remain impartial in this mans trial, who of us could say that? We all saw Jessie in her little purple hat, hamming it up for the camera, when they were searching for her in Florida. To think this monster had her the whole time right across the road, being protected by the other people in that miserable trailor, is unbearable to say the least. To think those people, in that trailor helped this monster flee the police, protected him, were not even charged in the crime is unimaginable. I say these people had lots more to do with the crime against this little girl, then just the cover up for Couey, to let them walk for any reason, should brand this prosecutor Brad King, as the worse civil servant to ever work for the public. To think of a crime of this magnitude happening to an adult is horrendous enough, now just think about it happening to a sweet innocent child, my brain just cannot wrap around the thought of that! I just hope that wherever they think they can find a uncomtainated jury for this man, they also have a decent judge who considers the fate of the victim, has compassion for her family and friends and her memory, and has their best interest at heart instead of the "rights" of the monster in this case.
I know a little of this man's pain from losing a child, I cannot imagine how this child's father can ever lay his head on his pillow at night and hope to get a decent nights peace from his nightmares. My heart and compassion goes out to Mark Lunsford, I hope someday he can have some kind of peace with this (I doubt it though) as for John Couey, I could care less if he has a fair trial or not only that he has one and is gone from our society forever more!

Ditto...........Ditto
Couldn't have said it better.
He is a monster that should be treated as such.
No child should ever have to endure the terrors she had to endure during her last week of life.
He should be given the same fate that he gave her.