HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Jury selection began Monday in the murder trial of Matthew Terry, the man accused of killing a Hillsborough County teacher in May.
The Office of the State Attorney 13th Judicial Court on Aug. 8 announced that recently appointed Hillsborough State Attorney Susan Lopez filed notice that her office will seek the death penalty for Terry "because of his despicable murder" of 43-year-old Kay Baker.
Baker, who was an elementary school teacher and mother of two, was in a relationship with Terry when an argument led to her murder, according to the sheriff's office. She was found stabbed to death outside a home in Lithia.
“She had a heart like no other. She loved her boys and she also loved her students," Brandi Haggstrom, a friend and former neighbor of Baker, said. back in August. “She lit up a room and she was always there to make you smile."
Terry was charged with first-degree murder.
Investigators say Terry was previously convicted in Michigan of assault with intent to cause great bodily harm to an ex-girlfriend when he stabbed her "multiple times."
Terry was released from prison before moving to Florida. Five months after moving, he killed Baker, the sheriff's office said.
“Every capital murder case must be evaluated on its own facts to determine if a reasonable jury made up of Hillsborough County citizens could unanimously sentence a defendant to death," State Attorney Lopez said in a statement. "It is the most serious penalty available under Florida law, and I approach this responsibility with humility and a sense of duty to the rule of law.
"Defendant Mathew Terry’s actions were especially heinous, cruel, and atrocious. He was merciless in his brutal killing of Ms. Baker, and given his history of violent behavior, we will ask a jury to sentence him to death."
Opening statements in Terry's trial are expected to begin Friday, Nov. 4, at the earliest.
