Another juror who had been selected to hear the 2016 Wilkinsburg mass shooting case was dismissed Wednesday, making her the third seated juror to be excused or dismissed before jury selection is even complete.
The woman, who was set to be juror No. 12, failed to disclose her friendship with an assistant district attorney, said Judge Edward J. Borkowski, the judge presiding over the capital case. The assistant district attorney is not part of the case in question.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Robert Thomas and Cheron Shelton, both of whom are charged in relation to the March 9, 2016, shooting that killed five adults and an unborn child.
Attorneys had agreed upon 14 jurors — 12 jurors and two alternates — by day’s end Tuesday. Borkowski wanted attorneys to choose five alternates in all.
They did just that by mid-afternoon Wednesday before being told about juror No. 12. Her failure to disclose her friendship with the ADA led to her dismissal.
Instead of five alternates, attorneys must now choose six to hear the case, meaning they will begin the process of choosing two more Thursday morning.
The alternates chosen Wednesday are two women, both nurses, and a man who works in sales.
Seventeen other potential jurors interviewed were excused or dismissed.
Borkowski said two other already-selected jurors called his office and raised work-related concerns. The judge instructed them to have their employers call him directly. For one juror, the concern was resolved and she will remain on the jury. Borkowski said he had not heard from the other juror’s employer as of Wednesday afternoon.
Jury selection began Jan. 6 and has been contentious at times, with more than one heated exchange between defense attorneys and prosecutors.
With Wednesday’s subtraction and addition, the jury is now made up of six men and six women.
Prosecuting the case are Deputy District Attorney Kevin Chernosky and Assistant District Attorney Lisa Pellegrini. Shelton, 32, is represented by Wendy Williams and Randall McKinney, and Thomas, 31, is represented by Casey White and Michael Machen.
The trial is set to begin Feb. 3 and is expected to last up to three weeks.
Killed in the 2016 gunfire were siblings Jerry Shelton, 35, Brittany Powell, 27, and Chanetta Powell, 25; their cousin, Tina Shelton, 37; family friend Shada Mahone, 26; and Chanetta Powell’s unborn son, Demetrius. None of the slain Sheltons is related to the defendant.
