JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man police and prosecutors say killed a tourist from Georgia returned to a Duval County courtroom Monday for a second trial on the charges.
Juan Curtis was convicted of the May 2000 murder of Mary Anne Stephens, but an appeals court overturned that conviction, saying that jurors should have heard evidence that a teenager -- Brenton Butler -- had confessed to the crime.
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Butler was tried for the murder, but found not guilty after lawyers convinced a jury that his confession was coerced by police. The sheriff and state attorney later apologized for the wrongful arrest and prosecution, and the city paid the teen's family $775,000 to settle a lawsuit.
Butler's conviction and eventual release inspired an Academy Award-winning HBO documentary about the botched investigation.
Stephens' husband, who witnessed the crime, fingered Butler as the killer, but then changed his testimony and implicated Curtis during Butler's trial.
Potential jurors for Curtis' retrial were peppered with questions about Butler and the crime on Monday. About 28 of the 68 potential jurors said they've heard about the murder case, complicating the selection process.
After a long day of questioning, the first jury pool was told to go home and not return, because they had read about the case in the paper Monday morning.
Butler is expected to testify about his confession, which he says police beat out of him.
Within months of Butler's acquittal, Curtis was arrested. His accomplice testified that Curtis shot Stephen's wife during a robbery gone bad.
In 2002, Juan Curtis was convicted of armed robbery and murder for the crime, but that was overturned on appeal and a new trial ordered. Prosecutors maintain that Curtis is the real killer.
Officials will begin questioning a new set of jurors Tuesday.
Previous Stories:
- February 17, 2004: Teen Falsely Accused Of Murder Writes Book About Ordeal
- October 31, 2002: Curtis Sentenced To Life For Tourist Murder
- October 1, 2002: Curtis Found Guilty Of Infamous 2000 Murder
- September 17, 2002: Officers' Discipline In Butler Case Overturned
- May 20, 2002: Internal Affairs: Suspend 3 Officers In Butler Case
- April 29, 2002: Butler Family Settles Lawsuit With City
- March 25, 2002: Documentary On Local Case Wins Oscar
- October 18, 2001: Falsely Accused Teen Sues For $8.5 Million
- August 3, 2001: Grand Jury: No Charges For Officers
- February 27, 2001: State Attorney Files Petition To Expunge Butler Record
- February 22, 2001: Shorstein, Glover Apologize To 'Wrongly Accused' Teen
- November 22, 2000: Teen Acquitted Of Tourist Murder