Jury selection over in Tellis trial
Jury selection for the trial of Quinton Tellis concluded Tuesday in 4th Judicial District Court. Opening statements will begin Thursday morning.
Court will be recessed Wednesday.
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In pre-trial hearings for Tellis on Monday, 4th Judicial District Judge Larry Jefferson prohibited the discussion of "murder" and "alleged murder" in connection with two other cases tied to the defendant to prevent prejudicing the jury.
Judge limits murder discussion in Tellis trial
Tellis is accused of one count unauthorized use of an access card and one count possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute.
The defense asked the court to prevent discussion of the murders of Meing-Chen Hsiao, 34, in Monroe and Jessica Chambers, 19, in Mississippi. Tellis has been tied to both cases.
Hsiao, a University of Louisiana at Monroe alumna, was found dead at her apartment in the 400 block of Filhiol Avenue on Aug. 8.
The prosecution will be allowed to reference Hsiao's death and establish a probable time of death through witness testimony, but the nature of the injuries that led to her death cannot be discussed.
According to arrest reports in the case, Tellis used a debit card belonging to a homicide victim, later identified as Hsiao, for multiple ATM transactions in August.
Tellis was indicted on capital murder charges Feb. 24 by a Panola County grand jury in relation to Chambers’ death.
Chambers was discovered on the roadside with burns over 98 percent of her body in December 2014. She later died as a result of her injuries.