District Court Judge Karen Noakes oversaw saw the selection of a jury on Monday by prosecutors Corey O'Brien and Valley County Attorney Glen Clark and Defense attorneys James Mowbray and Sarah Newell. The jury was selected for the trial of John Oldson, for the alleged 1989 murder of Catherine Beard. The trial will resume Tuesday, January 29, 2013, in Howard County. The selection began with 80 Howard County residents and all Monday was spent with jurors being questioned by the Judge and the attorneys. When the questioning finished and all challenges for cause and peremptory challenges were made, a jury of 12 was selected along with 2 alternate jurors.
During the questioning, the attorneys focused on several constitutional issues along with jurors potential difficulties of looking at a case which is more than 23 years old.
Oldson, the last known person to have seen Beard on or about May 31, 1989 faces a charge of First Degree murder. Beard's skeletal remains and clothing were discovered in 1992, and gave police the evidence to believe she suffered blunt force trauma to her skull and ribs, with cuts on her abdominal regions and vertebrae. The State will begin it's case tomorrow trying to convince the jurors that Oldson is the person responsible for Beard's murder.
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