Jury selection in death penalty case under way
Jury selection for Jordan Clemons’ homicide trial began late Wednesday morning with 151 potential jurors jam-packed into a Washington County courtroom.
The jury candidates were summoned in an attempt to fill a 16-member panel for the trial, in which the prosecution will seek the death penalty. Twelve will serve as jurors, with four others as alternates, Assistant District Attorney Chad Schneider said.
Group questions were asked Wednesday by Judge Gary Gilman. Today, potential jurors will be placed into groups of 20 and interviewed individually. Schneider said each juror will be asked a series of 85 questions that will touch on varying qualifications for the case. Each evening, potential jurors are required to call court administrators to see if they must report the following day.
When asked if anyone was familiar with case, the overwhelming majority of potential jurors raised their hands. Schneider and Clemons’ attorney, Brian Gorman, agreed to address the matter during the private interviews.
Jury selection is slated to continue for the remainder of this week and is expected to end the week of March 23.
Clemons, 26, formerly of Canonsburg, is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, 21-year-old Karissa Kunco of Pittsburgh, in January 2012 and dumping her body in a wooded area of Mt. Pleasant Township. Kunco was last seen alive Jan. 11, 2012. State police allege that after killing her, Clemons dragged her naked body into the woods along Sabo Road and covered it with leaves, brush and a tree stump. Kunco, whose throat was cut, had a protection-from-abuse order against Clemons.
Gorman declined to say if Clemons would testify during the trial. Gorman intends to argue head injuries Clemons suffered while playing football and in several vehicle accidents, plus years of drug abuse, diminished his mental capacity. Any brain injury Clemons experienced could have been a factor in his ability to form criminal intent, Gorman said in court documents.
Schneider plans to call roughly 20 witnesses, including Kunco’s parents.
Clemons also faces charges from a home invasion in Canonsburg Jan. 8, 2012, and is charged with flight to avoid apprehension in connection with an alleged assault of Kunco in December 2011.
Clemons remains in Washington County jail without bond.