Jury selection begins for co-defendant in Palm Bay Compound slayings

J.D. Gallop, Florida Today
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Jury selection began Monday in the murder trial of Jamarcus Simpson, one of the two defendants charged in connection with the Christmas Day 2022 slayings of two teens at an area in Palm Bay known as “The Compound.”

Potential jurors were called to the Moore Justice Center in Viera early Monday for questioning in the courtroom of Brevard Circuit Judge Steve Henderson, who is overseeing the trial of Simpson, 18. Prosecutors and defense attorneys were expected to select 12 jurors along with three alternates during the three-day process.

Yellow crime scene tape marks off an area near the intersection Angora St. SW and Camilo Circle. The compound is located in the southwestern area of Palm Bay and is is an undeveloped area of 12.2 square miles made up of palmettos, pepper trees, wax myrtles and a criss-cross of roads.
Yellow crime scene tape marks off an area near the intersection Angora St. SW and Camilo Circle. The compound is located in the southwestern area of Palm Bay and is is an undeveloped area of 12.2 square miles made up of palmettos, pepper trees, wax myrtles and a criss-cross of roads.

Simpson and his co-defendant, Juan Shuren, 17, are charged with premeditated murder in the first degree in connection with the Dec. 25, 2022, shooting deaths of Jeremiah Brown, 14, and Travon Anthony, 16, in Palm Bay's Compound. Both Simpson and Shuren were indicted by the grand jury in January. Simpson was 17 at the time of the shootings.

The bodies of the teens were discovered in the abandoned development known as The Compound. Palm Bay police detectives worked on the case for 13 months, with forensic experts, the medical examiner's office and others.

More: Quest for justice drove Palm Bay police investigation into teen killings at The Compound

Simpson, who was 17 when the killings took place, rejected a plea offer from prosecutors in court Friday that would have reduced the amount of time he faced in prison if convicted of the charges. The 18-year-old told Judge Henderson he would take his chances at trial.

Once jurors are selected, the court will take a break and resume with the opening statements and trial on April 1. A trial date for co-defendant Juan Shuren has not yet been set.

J.D. Gallop is a criminal justice/breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @JDGallop.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Jury selection begins for co-defendant in Palm Bay Compound slayings