CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Jury selection will go into a third day in the trial of a Georgia woman accused of shooting and killing a driver who allegedly left the scene of a crash.
Hannah Payne is currently out of jail on bond as her trial, which was four years in the making, begins. On Tuesday, the prosecution and the defense questioned potential jurors about the case. Payne's defense attorney, Matt Tucker, said seating a jury has been a challenge.
"It’s hard to go through a jury when we all know that they’ve heard something about this case," Tucker said. "She’s trying her best to keep her composure, and she’s ready to get this over with."
Payne is accused of killing 62-year-old Kenneth Herring in 2019.
A grand jury indicted her for malice and felony murder, among other charges. According to Clayton County Police, a crash occurred on Clark Howell Highway near Interstate 285 on May 7 of that year. It was reported Herring ran a red light and crashed into a semi-truck. One of the drivers, Herring, allegedly left the scene.
Police said no one was hurt during the accident, and there wasn't extensive damage. Payne allegedly witnessed the crash and followed Herring. The crash happened about a mile away from where Payne followed him. She allegedly confronted him and told him to return to the accident scene. Police said she called 911 to report the hit-and-run.
In testimonies from detectives from 2019, it was revealed that a witness said Herring appeared to be in the middle of a medical emergency. Detectives said witnesses described the emergency as "like diabetic shock." Payne allegedly shot Herring several times as he sat in the driver’s seat of his car, killing him.
The trial comes after several delays; it was officially supposed to start in November 2022 before an attorney said they fell ill. It was also delayed several times prior because of the pandemic.
Jury selection is expected to wrap up Wednesday. Court begins at 8 a.m. Attorneys are hoping to finish the trial by the end of this week.