Jury for Olsen is seated

A jury in the perjury trial of Timmy Brent Olsen, charged in connection with the disappearance of 15-year-old Kiplyn Davis has been seated and will hear opening statements starting today.

After two days in questioning and selection, a jury of eight men and six women were seated Tuesday evening. Twelve of the jurors will render a verdict, while two are secretly chosen as alternates.

In an unusually rigorous selection process, some 71 prospective jurors were reduced to 32 by Monday with the court calling in 20 additional outside candidates Tuesday to be screened.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Greene has not allowed press coverage of individual questioning of prospective jurors out of concern for potentially private information being disclosed; however, in open court Greene has asked candidates if they have been convicted of a felony, have been a victim of a violent crime, or have a family member that has been.

Already more than two dozen juror candidates have said they have a relative or close friend who works in law enforcement, which could be an issue for Olsen, who faces 15 counts of perjury before a federal grand jury and lying to a federal law enforcement officer.

Prosecutors claim that Olsen lied to a grand jury when he denied making statements to others that he had killed Davis and buried her body. Federal prosecutors plan to call about 20 witnesses who are expected to testify that Olsen had made such comments. Other witnesses are expected to testify that Olsen has a history of violence against women. Two witnesses are former friends of Olsen who have agreed to testify that Olsen asked one of them to find help moving a female body and asked the other to create a fake alibi to police after Davis vanished.

Olsen also faces a charge of first-degree murder in state court stemming from Davis' disappearance.

Federal prosecutors will open the trial with their summary argument and witnesses. Olsen's attorney, Stephen McCaughey, has decided to give his opening statement after the government has rested its case.

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Kiplyn Davis' disappearance

The case:

• Kiplyn Davis, 15, vanished from Spanish Fork High School on May 2, 1995.

• For nearly a decade, Davis' disappearance was the biggest mystery in Spanish Fork, until law enforcement uncovered what they say was a conspiracy of silence among a group of people.