The trial of a suspect in a Clinton murder case was stopped today in the midst of jury selection and moved out of Clinton County. Fifty-two year-old Maurice Walker is charged with two counts of first degree murder in the shooting deaths of his ex-wife and her boyfriend.
The jury selection began in Clinton County District Court on Monday and continued this morning. While questioning jurors Tuesday morning-the defense renewed their request for a change of venue in the case. Judge James Kelley agreed to the motion this morning and set the trial for Scott County to start on February 20th. Clinton County Attorney Mike Wolf wanted to continue with the jury selection and was confident a jury could be seated for the case with the jury pool remaining.
Walker is accused in the April 12th deaths of his ex-wife 39 year old Renee Walker and 32-year-old Steve Kersey in their apartment in Clinton. Prosecutors have said little about the case. Court documents state the two were shot to death and that there is evidence linking Walker to the crime scene-refuting his alibi that he was in Chicago at the time of the deaths.