Jury selection in Mark Becker murder trial starts today

Jury selection for the first-degree murder trial of Mark Becker, accused of killing Aplington-Parkersburg football coach Ed Thomas, will begin at 1:30 p.m. today at the Boyd Building in Shell Rock.

The trial was delayed from Monday due to weather. The jury selection at the community building in Shell Rock is to accommodate a jury panel of 220. The trial will be in Butler County District Court.

Nancy Newhoff, media coordinator, said 2nd Judicial District Judge Stephen Carroll told her opening statements could start Friday if a jury is selected Thursday.

The trial is expected to last two weeks.

Gazette Reporter Trish Mehaffey will liveblog the trial once testimony begins. Readers can ask her questions and provide comments for the blog.