Jury selection in the murder trial for the death of UniversityMBA recipient Charlotte Murray Pace begins today in East BatonRouge Parish.
Authorities have charged suspected serial killer Derrick ToddLee with first degree murder. Prosecutors are seeking the deathpenalty in the case.
Pace was killed in her Sharlo Avenue townhouse May 31, 2002.
First Assistant District Attorney John Sinquefield will lead theprosecution team.
Sinquefield told The Reveille in August it may be challenging tofind an impartial jury because of the large amount of publicitysurrounding the murders.
The East Baton Rouge Court summoned more than 1,300 jurors inAugust, and last Thursday around 1,000 jurors reported to the BatonRouge River Center for orientation.
On Aug. 10, West Baton Rouge Parish Judge Robin Free sentencedLee to life in prison for the second-degree murder of GeralynDeSoto of Addis, La.
Lee’s prior conviction cannot be mentioned in the firstphase of the Pace trial. However, in the sentencing phase of thetrial, prosecutors are free to use his conviction in an attempt towin a death sentence.
Ann Pace, Murray’s mother, said she will attend the trialon Monday and Tuesday.
“For all of us this is a completely new experience,”Pace said. “I’ve never seen a jury selection.We’re just trying to understand how things work.”
Pace also said she is confident in the prosecution’sability to win a conviction.
“I feel like they are very prepared,” Pace said.
But Pace said she still is terrified that a juror will get onthe panel that does not understand the DNA evidence.
Authorities have said they have DNA evidence obtained from underPace’s fingernails linking Lee to the rape and murder.
The jury must unanimousily agree to sentence Lee to death.