JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man accused of killing a woman and her 10-month-old son will be in court Monday as a jury was selected for his trial on two counts of first-degree murder.
John Mosley is accused of killing 40-year-old Lynda Wilkes and her son, Jay-Quan -- believed to be Mosley's son.
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Investigators found Wilkes' body in woods near Waldo several days after she disappeared.
Police said the baby was put into a garbage bag while still alive, driven dozens of miles and left in a commercial trash receptacle behind an Ocala grocery store. Police searched for the child's body in a Georgia landfill where garbage from those trash bins are dumped, but his body was never found.
Mosley, who was already in Duval County Jail on charges of having sex with a teenaged girl, has maintained his innocence. He also said he is not Jay-Quan's father.
Wilkes, who had four other children, and her baby were last seen April 22, 2004, when they met Mosley to discuss child support payments. A court had ordered Mosley to pay Wilkes support for the boy, but he denied being the father.
According to police records, a 15-year-old boy told investigators that Mosley called him after abducting Wilkes and Jay-Quan. The boy said he witnessed Mosley strangle her with his bare hands. The report also said Mosley had the teen hold a plastic bag open as he put Jay-Quan in the bag, tied it closed and put it in the back of his SUV.
Wilkes' badly burned body was dumped in Alachua County on April 23 after police received a tip believed to come from the boy. Wilkes' remains were found April 30.
The 15-year-old is the brother of the teen Mosley was accused of having sex with. He was charged as an accessory.
At the end of Monday's session, a jury had not been seated. That process would resume Tuesday morning, with opening statements in the trial possibly starting in the afternoon.
Attorneys told Channel 4's Jennifer Waugh the trial should last through the week, possibly into next week.
Previous Stories:
- May 28, 2004: Man Accused Of Killing Woman, Infant Pleads Not Guilty
- May 7, 2004: Mosley Charged With Killing Ex-Girlfriend, Baby
- May 3, 2004: Police Search South Georgia Landfill For Baby's Body
- May 3, 2004: Mosley In Court For Paternity Hearing
- April 30, 2004: Mosley Jailed; Investigation Into Missing Woman, Baby Continues
- April 28, 2004: More Police, Volunteers Search For Missing Mom, Baby