Jury selection starts in Bucks triple-murder case
Jury selection began Monday in the trial of Marcel Johnson, a Bristol Township man accused of killing a pregnant woman; her 4-year-old daughter, and -- under an infrequently invoked law -- the unborn child.
Jury selection began Monday in the trial of Marcel Johnson, a Bristol Township man accused of killing a pregnant woman; her 4-year-old daughter, and -- under an infrequently invoked law -- the unborn child.
Because the Bucks County District Attorney's Office is seeking the death penalty, the selection process is expected to continue through the week, with opening arguments anticipated May 26, the day after Memorial Day.
Johnson, 22, allegedly stabbed to death Ebony Capri Talley, 22, who was five months' pregnant, and her daughter, R'Mani Rankins, in November 2013 at Talley's Levittown apartment. Johnson then set the apartment on fire, police said. His motive remains unclear.
Much of the prosecution's case is built on the testimony of a criminal informant who contends that Johnson tearfully admitted to the killings in his jail cell, and evidence that includes Talley's DNA found under Johnson's fingernails, according to court documents stated.
- Ben Finley