Mistrial declared in Fayetteville murder trial
UPDATE: Judge Joanna Taylor in the trial of Mark Edward Chumley declared a mistrial Thursday, a day after testimony began. Judge Taylor's office confirmed during testimony Thursday, co-defendant Christopher Lee Treat said Chumley was a convicted felon on the stand.
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Original story continues below:
A jury was selected Wednesday in a Fayetteville murder trial.
Six men and six women make up the jury. One man and two women were chosen as alternates.
48-year-old Mark Edward Chumley is charged with being an Accomplice to Capital Murder in the killing of 24-year-old Victoria Annabeth Davis back in August of 2015. Chumley is charged alongside four others for the same crime, some of whom are expected to testify.
Before the trial even began Wednesday afternoon, Chumley declined a plea deal for life in prison – instead choosing to proceed with the trial where, if found guilty, he faces either life in prison or the death penalty.
The court heard from several witnesses Wednesday. It started with the Fayetteville Police dispatcher who took the original 911 call on the night of Davis’ death.
The court heard that call, which was made by Chumley. The court heard him pass the phone to the victim’s husband, John Christopher Davis, who told the dispatcher that he had killed his wife.
Law enforcement who responded to that call also testified in court Wednesday, recalling what happened on the night they found the victim’s body.
Both the prosecution and the defense warned the jury that some of the evidence presented in the case would be gruesome – and mentions of baseball bats and batteries used to torture the victim in the prosecution’s opening statements hinted at what’s to come.
Tuesday, Washington County Judge, Joanna Taylor, presided over the jury selection process, where dozens of potential jurors were questioned by prosecuting attorney Matt Durrett, and council for the defense, Scott Brisendine and Chris Nebben.
Because the case involves rape and murder, the jurors were asked about their ability to cope with the gruesome evidence and testimonies that will be presented in trail.
