May 02, 2007 - 04:12:28 CDT
CANDO (AP) - Jury selection has started in the trial of a man accused of killing his former girlfriend and setting her body on fire near this city.Steven Torkelsen, 55, of Cando, was charged with murder after the body of his former girlfriend, 48-year-old Rebecca Flaa, was found burning in a ditch in June 2004.
Jury selection began on Monday in Northeast District Court in Cando.
Torkelsen agreed in 2005 to make a conditional guilty plea to murder in Flaa's death, while reserving his right to challenge a search of his truck and camper.
He was sentenced Torkelsen to 20 years in prison. But the state Supreme Court threw out the plea last July and sent the case back to district court, saying authorities had no reason to stop Torkelsen and search the truck and camper.
More than 100 people have been subpoenaed for jury selection in Towner County.
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