CHARLOTTE — Jury selection began Tuesday in the trial of two defendants accused of killing Mary Collins, a 20-year-old Charlotte woman with disabilities whose body was found in a NoDa apartment in 2020.
[ READ MORE: Jury selection to begin for 2 men accused of Mary Collins murder in NoDa ]
The trial is expected to take weeks and comes six years after Collins’ death.
Collins’ grandmother described her as quirky, funny and shy. She loved taking pictures.
Six years ago, Collins disappeared. A week later, her body was found.
Detectives said Collins was stabbed more than 131 times, wrapped in plastic and stuffed inside a mattress.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Judge removes ankle-monitoring requirement and denies bond revocation of Mary Collins suspect
- Annual vigil honors Charlotte 20-year-old brutally killed 4 years ago
- ‘Unacceptable’: Man accused in NoDa woman’s brutal stabbing death bonds out of jail
- Family agonizes over wait for justice after woman’s murder
- 4th charged in connection with murder of missing 20-year-old Charlotte woman
- Charlotte woman pleads guilty in connection to 20-year-old woman’s brutal murder
Lavi Pham and James Salerno are on trial in connection with her death. Both are charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, and other charges.
On Tuesday morning, a jury pool of more than 50 people entered the courtroom. Potential jurors are being questioned 12 at a time to determine whether they will be selected for the trial.
“Who these people are and what they’ve been through, how they’re going to think about your case in particular, is incredibly important,” Defense attorney Aaron Lee told Channel 9’s Hunter Sáenz on Tuesday.
Lee, who is not on this case, spoke about the strategies behind jury selection, including red flags for the defense teams.
“Any person who has been a victim of something that’s been life-altering, it would be hard for them to separate their experience from who they’re seeing on the stand,” the attorney said.
Prosecutors want jurors who trust law enforcement and their investigations, Lee said.
“Keep an open mind. Don’t form an opinion until you hear both sides of the story,” he said.
Judge Karen Eady-Williams said Monday that the trial is expected to last six weeks.
She also warned that the proceedings will be difficult for jurors, with graphic photos and testimony expected to be presented during the trial.
Timeline of the case:
- March 2020: Mary Collins was reported missing.
- Days later: Police found Collins’ body and arrested Salerno, Pham and Kelly Lavery.
- May 2020: A fourth suspect, America Diehl, was arrested for allegedly helping conceal Collins’ body.
- June 2022: Lavery pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, kidnapping and concealment of a body.
- Current status: Diehl has not gone to trial. She is out of jail on bond.