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Jury Seated in Trooper Murder Trial

Posted at 8:09 PM, Feb 18, 2014
and last updated 2014-02-18 20:09:40-05

BgyqLIZCEAEnK1CLUDINGTON, Mich (Feb. 18, 2014) — A jury was selected in Mason County Court Tuesday to determine if 20-year-old Eric Knysz shot and killed a Michigan State Police Trooper.

Knysz is charged with first-degree murder after he allegedly shot Trooper Paul Butterfield in the head during a Mason County traffic stop Sept. 9, 2013.

Jury selection began in the morning and continued until around 6 p.m. when the final jury was seated.

Knysz used a cane to walk into court.  He was shot in the leg during his arrest in Manistee County.

Knysz’s wife, Sarah, pleaded guilty in November to being an accessory after the fact and vehicle theft, and has agreed to testify against her husband as part of a plea deal.  She was sentenced to between two and five years in prison.

Tammi Spofford, Eric’s mother, is also facing charges for allegedly helping the couple get away following the shooting.