Opening statements in the Boulder County murder trial of a man accused of killing and dismembering his former girlfriend are expected to start Thursday.
The jury in the case against Adam Densmore, 33, was seated Wednesday afternoon.
Densmore's charged with first-degree murder, tampering with a deceased human body, tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse. His ex-girlfriend and mother of his child, 25-year-old Ashley Mead, was last seen Feb. 12, 2017, and was reported missing two days later along with their 1-year-old daughter.
Densmore was found outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma two days later with their daughter. Mead's torso was also found in Oklahoma inside of a suitcase.
Oklahoma was Densmore’s final destination on a journey that started in Boulder and continued to Raton, New Mexico and south through the Texas panhandle and to Haughton, Louisiana.
Investigators believe Mead was at least partially dismembered just outside of Shreveport, Louisiana – and authorities believe portions of her remains could be scattered between Boulder and Oklahoma in a purple suitcase.
There have been no other body parts found.
The fact that no other body parts were discovered and the fact that the Tulsa medical examiner could not determine a cause of death for lack of evidence could play a big role in Densmore’s trial.
During a preliminary hearing last July, defense attorneys argued the murder charge should be thrown out because prosecutors cannot prove exactly how she died.
A Boulder County jury will hear evidence in all of the charges, which comes after a Boulder district judge denied Densmore's attorney's motion to separate the murder charges and the dismemberment charges into two separate trials.
Jury selection for this trial had been ongoing since Friday and wrapped up Wednesday afternoon with opening statements beginning Thursday at 9 a.m.
Twelve jurors and four alternates have been selected, including nine men and seven women who will listen to the details of the case.
Boulder's District Attorney Stan Garnett previously said he would not pursue the death penalty against Densmore.
Densmore, however, would face life in prison if convicted.
The trial is expected to run three weeks.
