Iowa City murder trial starts this afternoon

UPDATE: Arguments and testimony in the long-awaited trial of an Iowa City man suspected in the fatal shooting of a landlord on the south side of town three years ago are expected to get under way today.

Jury selection in Charles W. Thompson's first-degree murder trial, which began Monday afternoon and continued all day Tuesday, wrapped up early Wednesday afternoon. Opening statements are set to begin at 2:20 p.m. today in the case that fueled concerns over a troubled south side of town and contributed to its negative image.

Tuesday morning, before the crowd of prospective jurors filed into the courtroom for another long day of questioning, Judge Sean McPartland announced his decision to allow a controversial witness and pieces of evidence to be presented during Thompson's trial.

McPartland ruled that a man who shared a cell with Justin A. Marshall, Thompson's co-defendant in the 2009 homicide, will be allowed to testify during this week's trial about statements that Marshall made to him regarding the crime.

Marshall told Carl L. Johnson, among other things, that there was a plan to rob the landlord for rent money before the fatal shooting on Oct. 8, 2009, according to McPartland.

The judge said he decided to allow such hearsay statements from Johnson regarding information Marshall shared with him behind bars, in part, because Marshall – also facing a first-degree murder charge in the case – is unavailable to testify in Thompson's trial himself.

Marshall, according to McPartland, made conflicting statements to Johnson both incriminating himself in the crime and pointing the finger at Thompson. Johnson's testimony, at times, “undercuts the state's case against the defendant,” McPartland said.

But, among McPartland's reasons, Johnson's statements should be admitted because he doesn't stand to gain anything from offering them before the jury.

McPartland also ruled Tuesday to allow prosecutors to show jurors a ski mask they suspect Thompson used during the alleged robbery that resulted in John Versypt's death in 2009. And, he ruled, attorneys will be allowed to mention blood spots found on Thompson's jeans.

Thompson, 19, of Iowa City, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder after officers found the body of Versypt, 64, of Cordova, Ill., in the hallway of the Broadway Condominiums with a gun lying next to him.

Versypt was shot at close range with a .38 caliber revolver in the front of his head and in his hand, according to amended trial information. Investigators believe Versypt's shooting death was result of an attempted robbery.

Witnesses identified Thompson as being involved, and lab results showed clothes that Thompson was wearing at the time of the shooting contained components of gunshot residue, according to court records.

Marshall, 20, previously was a material witness in the case but was taken into custody last month in Texas and extradited back to Iowa. His first-degree murder trial is set Jan. 17.

Thompson's trial is expected to last two weeks.

Follow Vanessa Miller's live coverage from the courtroom today, which will begin after a jury is seated. Viewers can follow her live blog, ask questions and provide comments.