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Jury selection begins Friday in Loper murder suspect's trial
By Dan Eakin, deakin@starlocalnews.com
The trial of a 49-year-old Frisco man accused of killing a Pilates instructor in Plano is at hand.
Jury selection is scheduled for Friday, and a trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 20 for Terrance Deering Black, accused of murdering Susan Loper early in the morning April 19, 2011 at the Gleneagles Country Club in Plano.Her body was found by a police officer in a Frisco field the following day after she was reported missing when she failed to show up to teach classes.
After being briefly interviewed by police shortly after Loper's body was found, Black chose to leave the area. Two days later, park rangers at the Grand Canyon found Black after being told someone was panhandling. Black tried to jump into the Grand Canyon and fell to a ledge about 25 feet below.
He wore no brace and appeared to be walking properly Thursday as he was escorted by law officers into and out of the 296th District Courtroom at the Collin County Courthouse, where he appeared for a formal pretrial conference.
Black sat handcuffed and motionless during several hours as his attorneys and prosecutors stood in line in front of District Judge John R. Roach Jr., sorting out final details for the upcoming trial.
The judge and attorneys spoke only to each other, with most of what they were saying outside hearing range of the few spectators in the courtroom. But it was obvious the attorneys and judge were discussing what could, should and would be brought up during the trial and what would not be admitted.
One subject discussed was whether cell phone tracking by the police as to the whereabouts of the defendant immediately after the murder could be used as evidence against the defendant.
Police reportedly picked up "pings" from Black's cell phone as he traveled west through Amarillo, Albuquerque and other cities on his way to the Grand Canyon. Defense attorneys are claiming the police tracked the cell phone with no order from a judge and that such testimony should be inadmissible.
Also, the attorneys and judge discussed at length the proposed testimony of a man described by the prosecution as an "expert witness" on the subject of DNA and related matters.
If a jury is selected Friday, the trial would begin Monday. If prosecutors and attorneys are unsuccessful in filling the jury seats, defense attorneys are expected to again seek a change of venue for the trial. Roach denied a motion for a change of venue a few months ago.
Prosecutors for the trial are John Schomberger, first assistant district attorney, and Justin Johnson, assistant district attorney. Jim Burnham and Pam Lakatos are representing Black.
Bill Conrad contributed to this story.
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