MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - Jury selection is underway in a Bartlett man's murder trial. Joe Caronna is charged with first degree murder in the death his wife, Tina Murphy Caronna. Her body was found in the couple's SUV in 2008.
The jury pool began with more than a 100 people; six of them were dismissed because they knew people who had personal knowledge about the case. The rest of the potential jurors are being questioned one by one on what they knew about the allegations.
Prosecutors say Caronna, a former insurance agent, murdered his wife to keep her from finding out about his financial fraud against his insurance clients, his affair and gambling losses.
Tina Caronna was found with her hands bound and her mouth covered with duct tape.
Medical examiners say she died from asphyxiation. Her husband left town after investigators developed him a suspect. He was captured in Jackson, Tenn. after a standoff with police.
Joe Caronna took notes during jury selection. He was clean shaven, wore an orange dress shirt, tie and slacks.
His lawyer says evidence against him is weak, but his wife's family believes he was responsible for Tina’s death. If convicted he could spend the rest of his life in prison.
Sixteen jurors are expected to be seated Tuesday. In the meantime the judge told potential jurors to not talk about the case or research it.
