13 jurors picked so far in William Morva trial

WSLS News Staff & The Associated Press
Published: March 4, 2008

Updated 6:36 p.m.

ABINGDON, Va. (AP) - Jury selection began Tuesday and proceeded slowly in the capital murder trial of an escaped inmate charged with killing a hospital security guard and a Montgomery County sheriff’s deputy.
By the end of the day, 13 prospects were accepted into the jury pool of 24 in the trial of William Morva, who faces a possible death sentence if found guilty in the August 2006 killings. One hundred prospective jurors were summoned.
Of the 10 prospective jurors excused, most were for their views on the death penalty, either because they could not impose it or because they would automatically choose death over the option of life imprisonment if Morva were convicted of capital murder. Several others expressed strong feelings about the killing of a police officer.
Morva is on trial in Washington County Circuit Court because a jury could not be seated in Montgomery County last fall. Circuit Court Judge Ray Grubbs decided then that many of the 70 prospective jurors questioned over three days had relationships with principals in the case. He also is hearing the case in Abingdon.
Morva is accused of overpowering a sheriff’s deputy after he was taken to a hospital in Blacksburg for treatment of an injury, then using the deputy’s pistol to kill security guard Derrick McFarland, 32. He also is charged with killing sheriff’s Cpl. Eric Sutphin, 40 one day later on a walking trail near the Virginia Tech campus.
Morva’s escape shut down Virginia Tech on the first day of classes in 2006.
Morva, now sporting a full beard and shoulder-length hair, smiled and waved to the jury prospects when he was introduced. During selection, he attentively listened to the questioning and talked to his defense attorney.
A jury of 12, plus two alternates, will hear the case. Two weeks have been set aside for the trial.

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Updated 4:41 p.m.

Don’t let the picture fool you.  That really is William Morva under all of that facial hair.  The same man police say killed a Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputy, a hospital security guard, and forced Virginia Tech to cancel classes on its first day of the 2006 Fall semester.

Prosecutors and Morva’s defense attorneys are choosing jurors for Morva’s trial on the murder charges.  This time, they’re hoping to seat a jury down Interstate 81 in Abingdon.  Back in September of 2007, Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Ray Grubbs ruled that a fair and impartial jury could not be seated in Montgomery County.

Morva smiled and waved to the prospective jurors when he was introduced.

As of 4:41 p.m, eight jurors had been selected.  Four of the members of the jury pool excused either said they could not impose the death penalty, or said they would chose death over life imprisonment if Morva was convicted.  Two others were excused after they expressed strong feelings about the killing of a police officer.

Investigators say Morva escaped from police custody, while waiting to be treated at Montgomery Regional Hospital back in August of 2006.  During the escape, detectives say Morva killed Montgomery County Sheriff’s Corporal Eric Sutphin, and hospital security guard Derrick McFarland.  The search for Morva led to the Huckleberry trail, and the Virginia Tech campus.

Morva faces capital murder charges.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report)