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Jury seated in murder trial
James Gary Hill
James Gary Hill III

COVINGTON, Ga. - Attorneys involved in the trail of the State of Georgia v. James Gary Hill III seated a jury of 12 and two alternates Monday afternoon in front of Superior Court Judge Horace J. Johnson Jr. Opening arguments are scheduled to start at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 16. 

The jury is made up of five females and seven males with an age range of 34 years old being the youngest and 69 years old being the oldest. The two alternates are both females in their 50s.

The Covington News will provide live stream coverage of the trial starting at 9 a.m. Tuesday morning. During the trial, jurors will not be shown or identified. 

Hill faces charges of malice murder, felony murder and aggravated assault. He is represented by Public Defender Anthony Carter. Assistant District Attorneys Candice Branche and Amber Bennett are arguing the state's case.

Hill is accused of killing 27-year-old Kelly Marshall and leaving her body under the Mount Tabor Road bridge next to the Yellow River Aug. 12, 2017. He has been jailed since his arrest the following day on traffic charges after running from deputies in Walton County and is currently housed at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison because his probation for a previous conviction was revoked. 

In December 2017 Newton County Coroner Tommy Davis said an autopsy determined that Marshall’s manner of death was homicide caused by asphyxia. Investigators with the Newton County Sheriff’s Office later determined that there was enough probable cause to charge Hill with the murder.