Five years after the beating, stabbing and suffocation death of 51-year-old Telma Boinville and the kidnapping of her 8-year-old daughter
at a North Shore vacation rental, the trial of accused killer and kidnapper Stephen Brown begins this week with jury selection.
The court said 35 selected for jury duty were “no shows” Tuesday, but the judge took the matter under advisement and did not
issue $500 bench warrants, according to the court minutes. Because this is a high-
profile case, a large pool of potential jurors was selected and 450 summonses were sent out.
Voir dire — the questioning of jurors, as part of the jury selection process by the lawyers and the judge — began Tuesday and continued Wednesday for some prospective jurors who reported for duty.
Meanwhile, a separate trial is scheduled for July 10 for Brown’s ex-girlfriend and alleged accomplice in the case, Hailey Dandurand, who faces the same charges as Brown of second-degree murder, kidnapping and first-degree burglary. She
is also charged with
unauthorized entry into
Boinville’s pickup truck and unauthorized possession of confidential information for allegedly having Boinville’s credit card.
Deputy Prosecutor Scott Bell said the state would be ready to proceed with Dandurand’s trial after Brown’s concluded, but Dandurand’s attorney requested
a continuance.
Judge Rowena Somerville granted the continuance, but noted that the July 10 date was firm.
Brown’s court-appointed attorney, William Bagasol, had filed a motion to sever the case, and Somerville approved holding two separate trials for the two defendants after the state’s attorney agreed. Dandurand’s attorney already had filed a motion to sever early on in the case.
Bagasol had argued at earlier hearings that it would be prejudicial for Brown to be tried with Dandurand since she had accused Brown of domestic abuse, and plans to pursue defenses of battered spouse and post-
traumatic stress disorder.
He also filed Friday a motion to change venues, saying the case was highly publicized and prejudicial against his client.
Bagasol said that by the media calling the crimes “brutal” and “horrific,” it would hurt his client.
He asked that Somerville reserve judgment until after the prospective jurors responded to questioning, but the judge disagreed.
She said the court has taken extraordinary precautions and measures to ensure the defendant gets a fair trial in this jurisdiction, including giving the prospective jurors questionnaires to fill out.
She denied the motion.
Delays in the case’s path to trial include Brown’s repeated demands for a new lawyer. From online court
records, it appears Bagasol is his fourth lawyer.