Update: Jury picked in Samuel case

A jury was selected Tuesday for the murder trial of Eldon Gale Samuel III, the Coeur d’Alene teenager accused of killing his father and younger brother in March 2014. Ten men and four women were selected from the jury pool, with two of the 14 serving as alternates in the trial, which is expected to last up to four weeks.

The prosecutor and defense attorney will make their opening statements Wednesday morning in 1st District Court. Public Defender John Adams had wanted to use a PowerPoint presentation with 112 images as part of his opening statement. It includes photos of the bodies from the crime scene, weapons recovered from the house, prescription drugs Samuel’s father had in the home, baby pictures of his sons and many other images – including zombies – that Adams said are expected to be seen by the jury during the trial.

But Senior Judge Benjamin R. Simpson told Adams he could not use the visual presentation because the images have not yet been admitted into evidence. Adams objected, arguing that the images are visual aids meant to help jurors understand the evidence in the case. The zombie photos, for instance, would demonstrate how Samuel’s father believed they were real and taught his sons that as well, Adams said. “This is our entire defense you’re throwing out,” he told Simpson. “There’s no reason for that.”

Lawyers for both sides questioned scores of potential jurors Monday and Tuesday. They asked for their views on use of lethal force in self defense, and whether violent video games and movies may make a child lash out violently. They asked what they thought about people who listen to Christian rock music, how children learn from their parents and from cultural influences, and the effects of drug addiction and isolation. They also were asked if they knew anyone with autism and if that might prevent them from serving fairly and impartially on the jury. Samuel’s brother Jonathan was autistic.

Adams also asked if everyone would be able to look at graphic photos of the victims’ bodies, taken at the crime scene and during the autopsies. One woman decided she might not be able to do that, and she was excused.

Samuel, 16, is charged with first-degree murder in his brother’s death and second-degree murder in his father’s death. He has pleaded not guilty.