TAMPA, Fla. — The attempt to seat a jury in the trial of a Tampa accused of raping and killing a 9-year-old girl stretches into its fourth day Thursday.
- Opening statements may begin Thursday in Granville Ritchie trial
- Granville Ritchie accused of killing Felecia Williams, 9, in 2014
- Police say Williams was raped, strangled
- Trial begins Monday for Ritchie
- Previous stories on 2014 murder case
The hold up with jury selection is mostly due to the possibility of the death penalty in this case.
Police say Granville Ritchie raped and murdered Felecia Williams and placed her body in a suitcase and then left her by the Courtney Campbell Causeway in 2014.
All jurors must vote unanimously for someone to be sentenced to death. Despite the delay, opening statements could still begin Thursday.
Ritchie, again sitting in the courtroom in a suit and tie, watched as lawyers questioned more than 150 potential jurors. By the end of Wednesday, the jury pool was down to 60 people.
Another major challenge has been finding jurors who are impartial.
A woman who attorneys dismissed, said she attended a memorial for Felicia shortly after the child's death.
"This would not be the right case," Judge Michelle Sisco told the woman. "That makes perfect sense so thank you so much for letting us know and we’ll be with you shortly okay."
The trial could take longer than the expected three weeks, due to jury selection taking longer than expected and close to 100 witnesses who could be called to testify.