Observer-Reporter

WAYNESBURG - Greene County Court seated three more jurors for Jeffrey Robert Martin's murder trial in the second day of jury selection Monday.

The court accepted seven jurors on Wednesday, so Monday's selections bring the total to 10 jurors - five women and five men. The court did not meet on the case Thursday or Friday. Jury selection will continue at 8:30 a.m. today.

Martin, 50, of New Geneva, stands accused of sexually assaulting and killing 12-year-old Gabrielle Bechen of Greensboro nearly two years ago. The charges against him include homicide, child rape and sexual assault. If convicted, Martin could face the death penalty.

The process to select a jury is rather tedious because President Judge H. Terry Grimes, along with attorneys for the defense and prosecution, have to individually question each prospective juror to determine if he or she is acceptable to serve on the panel.

Over two days, court officials interviewed 46 prospective jurors. They started with a pool of about 200 people who were called to jury duty, and each person is called to a private conference room to be questioned.

Grimes has said that the trial will begin once 12 jurors and six alternates have been selected.

Gabrielle Bechen went missing from her Dunkard Township home June 13, 2006. The massive search of the area attracted widespread local media coverage and some national media attention until her body was found five days later.

Therefore, most prospective jurors have heard about the incident, but they are only dismissed if they claim they cannot put aside opinions they already have formed about the case. Grimes has asked each juror if they could disregard any earlier accounts and make a decision based only on the evidence presented at trial.

The prospective jurors also are asked about the death penalty. Those who say they could not sentence a man to death because of religious or personal reasons are dismissed. Those who strongly favor capital punishment and express an unwillingness to consider mitigating circumstances that may lead a jury to decide on life in prison instead of the death penalty also are dismissed by the judge.

If the jury convicts Martin of first degree murder, the case will move to the penalty phase, and the jury will decide whether Martin should be sentenced to death or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The defense and prosecution also have the ability to strike up to 20 jurors for any reason at all.

Jurors also were asked if they knew Martin, any of the attorneys involved or any of the witnesses, which may include numerous state troopers and federal agents as well as some members of Gabrielle Bechen's family, people who live near the Bechen family and some people who were involved in the search effort.

Public Defender Harry Cancelmi and Assistant Public Defender Ryan Armstrong are representing Martin. The prosecution is led by Assistant District Attorneys Linda Chambers and Gregory Simatic.

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