Jury selection continues Wednesday in Quarzone Martin murder trial

CEDAR RAPIDS - Jury selection continues Wednesday for the man accused of fatally shooting Andrew Meeks and injuring another man July 2 after their vehicle crashed into a guardrail in the westside Walmart's parking lot.

Quarzone Martin, 25, of Cedar Rapids, is charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, going armed with intent and willful injury causing serious injury. He is accused of fatally shooting Meeks, 26, and injuring Johnny Moore Jr., 30, both of Cedar Rapids, while they were in vehicle on July 2.

A jury pool of about 90 Linn County residents were called in on Monday for the trial. Several were excused during open and individualized questioning on Monday and Tuesday. Some said they had read or watched news reports about the case.

Jury selection was set to resume at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Linn County District Court. The trial now is expected to go into next week.

Opening statements and testimony may start late Wednesday or early Thursday.

Martin has claimed self-defense. According to court documents, the defense will say Meeks and Moore tried to steal drugs from Martin, and Martin was forced to defend himself.

Police said Meeks and Moore were in a car that, after shots were fired, crashed into a guard rail at the Wal-Mart in southwest Cedar Rapids.

During a previous bond review, a judge said the trial information shows Martin got into a vehicle driven by Meeks, with Moore as a passenger, in the store's parking lot. Meeks drove around the parking lot and, at one point, Martin briefly got out.

He then jumped back into the car, which rolled into a guardrail, and Martin jumped out, dropping his cellphone in the process, according to court documents.

When police arrived, Martin was gone, and Meeks was dying from a gunshot wound to his neck, 6th Judicial District Chief Judge Patrick Grady stated in the bond ruling.

Moore had been shot in the chest from a bullet that apparently had gone through the car's front passenger seat, Grady said in his ruling.

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