A jury has been seated in the trial of a man accused of killing an Arkansas real estate agent after luring her to a rural home outside Little Rock. Opening statements are set to begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
12 jurors and two alternates will hear the case against Arron Lewis, who has pleaded not guilty to capital murder and kidnapping in the death of 49-year-old Beverly Carter.
During questioning of potential jurors Tuesday, some said they had already formed an opinion, with Pulaski County Circuit Judge Herbert Wright asking whether they could set aside those opinions and make a ruling based on arguments and evidence presented in court.
The judge ended the day instructing jurors not to watch television news or read a newspaper to avoid being exposed to coverage of the trial.
Carter disappeared in September 2014, after telling her husband she was going to show a house. Her body was found days later in a shallow grave at a concrete plant where Lewis had previously worked.
Investigators say emails and phone records led them to Lewis and his estranged wife, Crystal Lowery. But citing missteps by investigators, the judge has blocked key evidence found at Lewis' home and vehicle, including pieces of Carter's hair.
Prosecutors will be allowed to use testimony from Lowery, including about the alleged plan to find a married real estate agent so they could demand a ransom.
