SARASOTA, Fla. — Luke Edward Fleming was in court Monday as jury selection got underway for a murder trial years in the making.
Judge Charles E. Roberts says 12 jurors will be selected with two alternates.
“Today my job is to pick a jury who can be fair and impartial and follow the law,” the attorney with the state of Florida said. Fleming’s mom was also in the courtroom to watch the selection process as the attorneys asked the potential jurors different questions.
It’s been two decades since Fleming, a St. Petersburg man, was arrested and accused of murder and sexual battery of 47-year-old Deborah Dalzell. Dalzell was a Sarasota attorney and accountant.
It was back in March 1999 when Dalzell was found dead inside her home. Deputies found her body in the bathroom. They say her jaw was dislocated, she was bruised and had been sexually assaulted.
“His arrest didn’t happen overnight, and it wasn’t easy tracking him down,” Sheriff Tom Knight said in 2018.
The break in this cold case came from DNA samples found at the crime scene. The new technology, called the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), helped detectives build a DNA-based family tree and a profile of Dalzell’s killer.
DNA led detectives to the 39-year-old Fleming. He lived less than a mile from the victim at that time.
It’s been a long process for Dalzell’s family to get justice and closure. During a press conference in 2018, Dalzell’s sister, Peggy Thistle spoke.
“For 20 years, he has been able to see the sun, breathe the air, and see the flowers. May today be the last day,” Thistle said.
The opening statements of Fleming’s trial will begin Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2020. Roberts says they are not seeking the death penalty in this case.
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