Jury selection and evidentiary hearings start in Gary Lee Bullock case

Jury selection started today in the jury trial for Gary Lee Bullock.

Judge John Feeney met privately with attorneys, Deputy District Attorney Andrew Issac and Kaleb Cockrum as well as DA Investigator John Burke before court was opened to the public this morning.

Bullock dressed in a white shirt and gray slacks silently next to Mr. Cockrum, occassionally glancing at the audience.

Two family members, including Bullock's brother in law and two people who knew Fr. Eric Freed came, one had to leave before court opened. The other is a parishioner who has attended most of the court hearings in the last two years.

A jury panel originaly scheduled for an attempted murder case in Courtroom filled out the first hardship questionnaire. Those that were not excused will fill out the long questionnaire this afternoon and be asked to call after 5 p.m. tomorrow. Amother jury panel will fill out the hardship questionnaire tomorrow morning.

402 or Evidentiary hearings will be held this afternoon with DA Investigator Burke, DA Computer Specialist Martin Perrone and former Eureka Police Detective Todd Wilcox, who now works for the Humboldt County Sheriff's office. Tomorrow Sgt. Jesse Taylor from Garberville and Department of Justice's Kay Belchner are supposed to testify.

Trial is expected to conclude by or before April 18, 2016.

In January 2014, Bullock was arrested for the murder of St. Bernard's pastor Fr. Eric Freed whose body was discovered before New Year's Day mass in 2014.

The jury trial will be in session five days a week; Monday to Thursday full days from 8:30 to 4 and Friday mornings from 8:30 until noon. There are a few days in March and early April that the trial will not be in session.

Count 1 murder with three special allegations: infliction of torture, murder committed while engaging in first degree residential burglary and murder committed during carjacking. Count 2 and 3 are both first degree residential burglary. Count 4 Vehicle theft. Count 5 arson of inhabitated structure. Count 6 is carjacking and Count 7 is Torture.