CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Michael Sherrill is charged in two different homicide cases from 1984. For a time there was talk about combining them, until a judge dismissed that idea.

There was snow on the ground in February 1984 when emergency crews were called to a trailer along Wilkinson Boulevard in west Charlotte. Inside, they found a bedroom fire smoldering, and Cynthia Dotson stabbed to death.

At the time, no one knew who killed her, or why. It appeared the fire was an attempt to cover up the crime.

Eight months later, it happened again. Only this time there were three victims at a house on Greenhill Drive off South Blvd. Inside police found the beaten bodies of Linda Taylor, her boyfriend Jackson Bostic and his 14 year old daughter Amy.

For over 20 years police were stumped. Despite the fact that Michael Sherrill knew each of the victims, investigators could never tie him to the crime. In 2005 that changed. Police charged Sherrill in the Dotson killing. That’s when other tips came in that led to more charges in the killings on Greenhill Drive.

When Sherrill was charged, April Thomas could only think of her sister Amy, who'd now be 38 years old.

“I just didn't want to leave it. I didn't want to leave it in the past. I wanted it solved. I didn't think it was fair that whoever did this was walking around,” she said.

This is a death penalty case. It's expected to last anywhere from six to eight weeks. Jury selection is taking place now, and in any death penalty case that's a tedious process. The trial is expected to last up to two months.