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Jury Selection Begins In Murder Trial of William Clyde Gibson

Last updated on Tuesday, June 3, 2014

(NEW ALBANY) - Jury selection is underway for accused killer William Clyde Gibson’s final murder case.

Gibson's trial starts in two weeks in Floyd County.

Jurors are being brought in from Vanderburgh County, which is two hours west, due to publicity surrounding the case.

Gibson is accused of killing 35-year-old Stephanie Kirk.

Her body was discovered in Gibson's back yard a week after police found the remains of his mother's best friend - 75-year-old Christine Whitis.

Gibson is already on death row for Whitis' murder and was sentenced to 65 years for the murder of Karen Hodella, whose remains washed up on the shore of the Ohio River.

Tuesday is day one of jury selection, which is a process both sides hope to finish up Friday, though they have blocked out two weeks for it.

Ultimately 12 jurors and five alternates will be chosen when things wrap up at the Vanderburgh County courthouse.

Gibson will go on trial for the murder of Stephanie Kirk, a Charlestown woman found buried in his New Albany backyard in April 2012.

She had been missing more than a month.

Police made the discovery after they arrested Gibson for another murder that of his mother's best friend - Christine Whitis.

During questioning for that police learned about Kirk and another murder.

Karen Hodella's body washed up on the shores of the Ohio River near Clarksville in 2003.

Gibson has since been convicted of those two murders, but the jury won't hear about them in this case.

During jury selection on Monday, potential jurors were all asked what they knew about Gibson.

Some were aware of those other murder cases and immediately excused.

Besides pre-trial publicity, attorneys also asked potential jurors about their ability to serve on the jury, and their views on the death penalty because this is a capital case.

Nearly 300 potential jurors will go through this first round of questioning from now through Wednesday and then seating will start Thursday.

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