Published: August 25, 2009 03:21 pm      

Jury selection begins in Forcey case

Teen charged with capital murder

Jury selection began Monday in the 249th District Court on a capital murder case involving a 17-year-old former Alvarado student. Police arrested Scottie Forcey last year in connection with the July 23, 2008, shooting death of a 52-year-old convenient store clerk.

Testimony in the case is expected to begin today, Johnson County District Attorney Dale Hanna said.

Forcey, 16 when the incident occurred, was certified to stand trial as an adult last year.

Forcey is accused of entering the Shell Travel Center on 1203 S. Parkway Drive in Alvarado at about 1:35 a.m. July 23, 2008, and shooting Karen Burke, a mother of four, in the head. Forcey then unsuccessfully attempted to open the store’s cash register before leaving the scene, according to store surveillance video.

A search warrant obtained through witness statements uncovered clothing matching that worn by the suspect in the store video at Forcey’s home in Alvarado, according to police. Police later uncovered two guns hidden under a nearby vacant house, which, according to witness statements, Forcey’s older brother hid for him.

Forcey is charged with capital murder and burglary of a habitation. The second charge stems from an unrelated earlier incident in which Forcey allegedly entered a neighbor’s home and stole a container of coins and a lawn weeder.