The Daily Star, Oneonta, NY - otsego county news, delaware county news, oneonta news, oneonta sports

April 25, 2012

Jury selected in Walton stabbing death


Staff Report

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Jury selection finished Tuesday in Delaware County court in the first-degree manslaughter trial of Lejuan Wainwright of Walton.

He was indicted in the August stabbing death of Tyler Warner, 20, of Walton.

A total of 12 jurors and two alternates -- six men and eight women -- were chosen in the trial scheduled to start at 10 a.m. today before Judge Carl Becker.

Opening statements will be presented by District Attorney Richard Northrup Jr. and defense attorney Andrew Puritz of Oneonta before the prosecution starts its presentation of evidence, a court clerk said. The defense will follow.

Wainwright, who was 20 at the time, was arrested on second-degree murder charges Aug. 20, shortly after the stabbing outside a Walton apartment.

Shortly before the incident, Wainwright had been arrested on a fugitive warrant from Florida, but was released when the state declined to extradite him on a probation violation.

A Delaware County grand jury later that month indicted Wainwright on the first-degree manslaughter charge.

If convicted, he could face up to 25 years in state prison.