Twelve jurors and two alternates have been chosen for the trial of Billy Hawk.
Hawk is charged with a cold case murder from 1981 involving victim Johnny Mack Salyer, who was found in a locked steel drum in the Tennessee River. At the time of the murder, Salyer and Hawk were co-defendants in a cocaine distribution case.
Seventy-two jurors appeared for jury duty in Judge Don Poole’s courtroom Tuesday morning. Attorneys from both the prosecution and defense questioned them for only a couple hours before the final group was chosen.
Since the jury will be sequestered during the trial, they were allowed to return home briefly to retrieve personal belongings and make arrangements for any pets or children in their care. They were instructed to pack for at least a week and to leave their cell phones at home.
The jury will stay in a hotel for the duration of the trail, which Judge Poole estimated would last about seven to 10 days. Even calls to check on family will be limited and strictly monitored by officers.
Though opening statements were scheduled for Tuesday, by 5 p.m. word was given that the jury would be brought directly to their hotel after everyone had returned to the courthouse.
Defense attorney Bill Speek said he thought a very fair jury was selected.
However, he also said the case was full of evidence that has gone missing.
“It’s a 35-year-old murder case. There’s gonna be questions on evidence. There’s gonna be inconsistencies in testimony,” he said.
Opening statements will begin at 8:30 Wednesday morning.