Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, June 18, 1990 TAG: 9006180351
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-3 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: MARK MORRISON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: STAUNTON LENGTH: Medium
More than 30 prospective jurors from Augusta County were called and none had been chosen by late this morning. Attorneys are expected to take all day today to select the 12 jurors and one or two alternates.
Another 50 people have been called for Tuesday if Commonwealth's Attorney A. Lee Ervin and public defender William Bobbitt can't settle on 12 people today.
Jury selection began about 10 a.m. after Strickler pleaded not guilty to the abduction and capital murder of Whitlock, a James Madison University sophomore from Roanoke. If convicted, Strickler faces the death penalty.
Whitlock was kidnapped Jan. 5 from a Harrisonburg shopping mall. Her body was found a week later in a wooded area five miles north of Waynesboro.
In questioning jurors, Circuit Judge Thomas A. Wood asked them if they had any religious, philosophical or moral beliefs against the death penalty.
The judge also asked prospective jurors if they already had formed an opinion on the guilt or innocence of Strickler or if any were related to Strickler, the attorneys or any witnesses in the case.
In addition, he wanted to know how familiar people were with the case from pretrial publicity.
Two people eliminated themselves as jurors early on. One said she was a neighbor of a witness who will be called to testify.
The other said he works at JMU and does radio news commentary. He said he wouldn't make a fair and impartial juror.
Three more prospective jurors were struck after questioning began by Ervin and Bobbitt. The first person called said he would hold it against Strickler if Strickler didn't take the stand in his own defense.
The second person called said she had already decided Strickler was probably guilty judging from what she already knew about the case.
A third prospective juror told the court that he would not impose the death penalty against Strickler or anyone, no matter how convincing the evidence was against him.
Wood dismissed all four prospective jurors after each was questioned about 15 minutes. Jury selection was scheduled to continue all afternoon.
by CNB