Jury chosen in Hernando murder trial

The jury is set and the evidence is about to be presented in the trial for a man charged in the shooting death of his sister and her employee two years ago.

The original jury pool of 50 was reduced to 22 by noon Wednesday. Less than three hours later, after attorneys completed their interviews and after all the strikes were made, both sides agreed on a 12-panel jury with two alternates.

During the next two weeks, the jurors will sit through the trial of John William Kalisz, 57, who is accused of fatally shooting Kitty Donovan and Deborah Tillotson outside the former's home off Wilhelm Road.

Also shot during the Jan. 14, 2010 attack were Donovan's daughter, Manessa, and another employee, Amy Wilson. Both of them survived.

Authorities said Kalisz eluded arrest for more than an hour. He drove into Dixie County, where deputies surrounded him outside a Cross City gas station along U.S. 19.

Kalisz shot and killed Capt. Chad Reed, of the Dixie County Sheriff's Office. In February 2011, he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the Cross City shooting.

The State Attorney's Office in the 5th Judicial Circuit chose to take Kalisz to trial for the Hernando County double homicide. If convicted, he could be sentenced to death.

Jury selection began Tuesday morning in Hernando County Circuit Court.

The majority of the potential jurors selected through Wednesday morning had heard or read nothing about the case. Some recalled headlines in newspapers or news flashes on television from one or two years ago.

Those with detailed knowledge of the case through news reports were eliminated from the jury pool.

Anyone who remembered anything about Reed's shooting death also was dismissed.

Both the state and the defense agreed Tuesday that Reed's name would not be mentioned during the evidentiary portion of the trial.

Reed's parents and some of Tillotson's relatives are among those who have been watching inside the courtroom since Tuesday morning.

The jurors are made up of nine women and five men. Both of the alternates are women.

Opening arguments will be made this afternoon.