Jury set for Kingston locks murder trial
CBC News
Posted: Oct 13, 2011 5:29 PM ET
Last Updated: Oct 13, 2011 5:24 PM ET
Mohammed Shafia and his wife Tobba Yahya invited reporters to their Montreal home in 2009 to speak about the loss of their children Geeti, aged 13, Sahar, aged 17 and Zainab Shafia, aged 19. The bodies of the three sisters and their father's cousin, Rona Amir Mohammed were found in a submerged car in a Rideau Canal lock. (Peter McCabe/Canadian Press)
Hamad Shafia, the victim's brother, is on trial with his mother and father. (Lars Hagberg/Canadian Press)Jury selection is complete in the trial of a Montreal couple and their son accused of killing the couple’s three daughters and the father’s former wife.
Mohammad Shafia, his wife Tooba Mohammad Yehya and their son Hamid Mohammad Shafia, 20, are charged with four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of the couple's three daughters and Mohammad Shafia's first wife.
The bodies of all four victims were fished out of a submerged car found two years ago in a Rideau Canal lock near Kingston.
More than 1,000 prospective jurors were summoned to the Kingston courthouse this week for duty.
Twelve people — six men and six women — were chosen, in addition to two alternates.
The trial is expected to last into the new year, and will be complicated because of multiple translation needs.
More than four dozen witnesses are expected to be called.
The family is originally from Afghanistan, and was living in Montreal.
Share Tools
Latest Montreal News Headlines
- Missing men found dead in Oka lake
- Two young men were found dead in the Lake of Two Mountains Sunday morning, nearly 18 hours after they disappeared into the water in Oka provincial park. more »
- Shawinigan takes Memorial Cup in OT win over London
- Anton Zlobin scored his second goal of the game 17:51 into overtime to lift the Shawinigan Cataractes to their first MasterCard Memorial Cup title with a 2-1 victory over the London Knights on Sunday night. more »
- Quebec tornadoes cause millions in damage
- Environment Canada confirms that two tornadoes — one of which was classed as a moderate F-1 packing winds of up to 150 km/h — touched down near Montreal Friday night, causing millions of dollars in damage. more »
- Woman hit by stray bullet on the Plateau
- A 25-year-old woman is recovering from a gunshot wound after she was hit by a stray bullet fired into a crowd on the Plateau early Sunday morning. more »
Top News Headlines
- Canadian Pacific strikers face back-to-work legislation
- Labour Minister Lisa Raitt is prepared to end the Canadian Pacific Railway strike if necessary, after both CP and the union rejected a proposal for voluntary arbitration by the government-appointed negotiator on Sunday. Raitt says she is "extremely disappointed." more »
- Quebec students and province to resume talks
- Quebec's university student federation has confirmed negotiations between student leaders and the provincial government will resume Monday afternoon. more »
- Tropical storm Beryl strikes southeast U.S. coast
- Tropical storm Beryl has arrived at the southeastern U.S. coast, bringing heavy rain, winds and the possibility of flooding. more »
- Ryder Hesjedal wins prestigious Giro d'Italia
- Victoria native Ryder Hesjedal has become the first Canadian to win one of the cycling world's three Grand Tour events, wrapping up the 2012 Giro d'Italia with an excellent performance in the final stage in Milan. more »
- Syrian regime denies role in Houla massacre
- The UN Security Council condemned the Syrian regime at an emergency meeting Sunday, holding president Bashar al-Assad's military responsible for the massacre of more than 100 people, dozens of whom were children younger than 10 years old. more »
Most Viewed/Commented
- Quebec students and province to resume talks
- Quebec tornadoes cause millions in damage
- Quebec students ready for tuition hike, says one leader
- Montreal protesters march in peaceful defiance
- Missing men found dead in Oka lake
- Woman hit by stray bullet on the Plateau
- Quebec students challenge Bill 78 in court
- Bookies set odds on Quebec student protest
- Mysterious photos may shed light on 2004 Quebec homicide
