Voir dire addressed insanity verdicts, sentencing views, and juror exposure; four prospective jurors were found qualified.
Full day summary
Individual and panel voir dire focused on prospective jurors’ ability to consider all guilt-phase verdicts, including not guilty by reason of insanity, and to weigh life without parole and death if sentencing were reached. Kristiana McGill was excused after saying she could not regard an insanity verdict as not guilty. Paul Jennings, Conrad Gore, Tiffany Kent, and Jessica Miller were found qualified, while other prospective jurors were excused for sentencing views, hardship, prior opinions, or difficulty with the subject matter. After reports of jury-room discussion and media exposure, the court ordered further inquiry and renewed admonitions, denied a defense change-of-venue request at that time, and limited use of the phrase “agree to disagree” in voir dire.