The capital murder of trial of a former Kaufman County law enforcement official who allegedly gunned down two former colleagues and one’s wife last year is finally getting underway with jury selection.

The killings during the first quarter of 2013 put Kaufman County “on the map” to the rest of the nation, according to Texas law enforcement officials. The murder trial will likely dominate the news and rivet national attention on Northeast Texas once again.

Law enforcement officials said the slayings of Asst. District Attorney Mark Hasse, 57, on Jan. 31 in a courthouse parking lot and District Attorney Mike McLelland, 63, and his wife Cynthia, 65, on March 30 over the Easter holiday in their Forney home marked the first time for Texas prosecutors to become targets. The killings left Kaufman County residents in a panic and led to concerns about courthouse safety across the state.

The motives in the killings are alleged to be revenge after the successful prosecution of former Justice of the Peace Eric Williams in 2012. Williams lost his job, his law license and suffered financial failure after the trial that resulted in him being placed on probation for stealing county computer equipment.

Court officials summoned about 3,000 prospective jurors to the courthouse in Rockwall County March 28 to begin the process of picking a 12-member jury and alternates to determine the fate of 47-year-old Eric Williams, according to widespread media reports. About 1,500 people answered the summons.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s office approved a grant to assist Kaufman County with the expense of the capital murder trial. Williams will be represented by legal counsel provided for the indigent. Kaufman County subscribes to a program commonly known as "murder insurance" that helps Texas counties pay for extraordinary indigent legal defense in capital murder cases.

Extensive pre-trial publicity caused the trial to be moved from Kaufman to Rockwall and for a visiting judge and special prosecutors to be appointed.

Prosecutors Bill Wirskye and Toby Shook said they would seek the death penalty against Williams. Prospective jurors are answering a 28-page questionnaire that includes views on the death penalty.

The jury selection process is expected to take all summer and the trial is scheduled to begin in October. Dallas County District Judge Mike Snipes said he wants to see the trial concluded before the end of 2014.

A week after the jury selection process began, law enforcement officials announced the discovery of a gun in Lake Tawakoni believed to be used in the killing of Hasse. It was described as a Ruger pistol, and investigators matched the gun to the bullets that killed Hasse, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Divers also found a second gun traced to the Williams’ household and a black mask.

Williams’ wife, Kim, 47, is also charged in connection with the murders. He is being held in the Kaufman County Law Enforcement Center in lieu of $13 million bond, and she is being held of a $10 million bond.

Law enforcement officials said Kim Williams confessed to the killings during an interview, and she filed for divorce from her husband while jailed.She told investigators that she accompanied her husband during the killings.

Prosecutors have not said if they will be seeking the death penalty against her, and a trial date has not been set for her.

Pictured below are Eric Williams, Kim Williams, Mark Hasse, Michael McLelland and Cynthia McLelland.