Jury selection begins in Hays County capital murder trial
SAN MARCOS, Texas - Jury selection began Monday, Jan. 8, in the trial of a man accused of killing a San Marcos police officer in 2017. This came after a mishap with jury summons that had to be hand-delivered to residents.
The trial is for a capital murder case and the county had to take additional steps to make sure people were going to show up for jury selection Monday.
"Sometimes technology isn't very reliable," Hays County District Clerk Avrey Anderson said.
A prime example was when jury summons weren’t printed or mailed out.
"We figured it out when our juries didn't show up," Anderson said.
Anderson said it was because of an error by the vendor they use, so county constables hand-delivered thousands of jury notices to residents.
"We made measures to convert jurys that actually did get a summons to be able to go towards a capital murder trial," Anderson said.
Their efforts were successful as about 400 people showed up for jury selection in the trial for the deadly shooting of San Marcos Police Officer Kenneth Copeland.
On December 4, 2017, a group of officers, including Officer Copeland, was serving a warrant at 51-year-old Stewart Mettz’ home for assault causing bodily injury of a family member and injury to an elderly person.
MORE: Hays County hand-delivers over 6K jury notices after error
San Marcos police officer Kenneth Copeland was killed in December 2017.
"He was in the military and when he got out he had a lot of mental problems," Mettz’ mother-in-law Brenda Sinclair told FOX 7 in December 2017.
When the officers knocked on the door, Mettz allegedly opened it and began shooting, hitting Copeland multiple times. Mettz later surrendered.
"I'm so sorry this officer had to die. It breaks my heart. I just wish it never happened," Sinclair said in 2017.
Copeland was the first officer killed in the line of duty for the San Marcos Police Department.
"He was an amazing officer and served his community well with joy and laughter," San Marcos Former Police Chief Bob Klett said in December 2019.
Copeland was a 19-year veteran of the department.
"He's always going to be remembered, he's a wonderful person, wonderful father and friend, and we are never going to forget you," then San Marcos Dispatcher Karen Cavala said in December 2017.
Mettz is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole. The state waived the death penalty.