Jury selected in Talladega Murder Trial

A jury of eight men and five women was selected Monday for the trial of a 23 year old Talladega man charged with the capital murder of his 8-month-old daughter in June 2013.

If convicted of capital murder, Eric Payne, would face an automatic sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. According to Assistant District Attorney Christina Kilgore, Payne and his girlfriend, the victim’s mother, lived together in an apartment on Old Shocco Road the day Jalea, the little girl, died.

Kilgore told the jury the medical evidence would show that the child died from blunt force trauma to her head, which resulted in fractures to her skull, bruising and brain swelling.

She also had several broken ribs, including some that appeared to have been broken before and were healing. She had retinal hemorrhaging in both eyes and damage to her spinal cord consistent with rapid shaking.

She also had severe bruising to her buttocks.

Payne is being defended by former District Judge George Sims and Greg Morgan.

During his opening statement Monday, Morgan said the child’s death was tragic, but accidental, and said the defense would call the conclusions of the state medical experts into question.

Testimony in the case is set to begin today.