KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Jury selection is underway for the man accused of murdering two Kissimmee police officers in 2017.
- Jury selection for Everett Miller trial
- Miller accused of killing 2 Kissimmee officers in 2017
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Day 1 in the Everett Miller trial wrapped up Monday, and attorneys are far from seating a jury.
Miller is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, resisting an officer without violence, and possessing a firearm in a place that serves alcohol.
He is accused of shooting and killing Sgt. Sam Howard, 36, and Officer Matthew Baxter, 26, in Kissimmee while on patrol on August 18, 2017.
The state and defense team are looking for 12 jurors and four alternates in this trial. Jury selection will take about a week, most likely due to the extensive media coverage this case has gotten in the past two years.
Several jurors were dismissed, as Osceola County Judge Greg Tynan deemed they could not serve with an open-mind. About 10 people were also dismissed due to language barriers.
Baxter’s wife Sadia Baxter was also in the courtroom. She told Spectrum News 13 she wants to be in the room every single day as a representative of her husband, children, and law enforcement.
The early stages of the investigation showed Miller had made threats to law enforcement on Facebook. Miller was found competent to stand trial in September of 2017.
Documents later surfaced in 2018 claiming that Miller confessed to the killings to another inmate, Charlie Brown.
However, the official report states there are no records of Brown and Miller having contact.
Miller faces the death penalty in this case. If Miller is found guilty, the penalty phase should start the week of November 12. It is believed that opening statements will happen Tuesday, August 27.