(WKYT) – UPDATE: Shannon Gilday, accused of murdering a woman inside her father’s home, has had a request denied by the court.
While the Shelby County circuit court prepares for Gilday’s trial, many decisions are being made. Gilday had requested permission to permit remote testimony from a witness. The court says upon finding that the witness is available for in-person testimony, and there is no necessary reason for it. The request was denied, and the witness must appear in person.
ORIGINAL STORY: The trial of the man accused of killing a woman inside her father’s Madison County home is set to start next week.
Shannon Gilday is accused of killing Jordan Morgan when police say he shot his way into former state lawmaker Wesley Morgan’s home in February 2022.
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Lawyers and a judge debated final procedural issues on Wednesday, including jury selection, which will take place in Shelby County.
The Shelby County Judicial Center will be used for the trial, with jury selection set to start Friday, May 1.
The trial was moved outside of Madison County because of the large amount of publicity the high-profile case has received. The victim comes from a well-known family, and her father was a state lawmaker.
“Every time we come to court it is another step, another day to getting this chapter closed,” said Mica Nicole, a friend of Jordan Morgan.
Police say Gilday shot his way into Wesley Morgan’s home and killed his daughter Jordan while she slept.
“We have to remember why all of this took so long. Because they tried to take the death penalty off the table. This is a capital murder case,” Nicole said.
Jury selection is expected to take a week, and the first witnesses will likely not be called until May 11. The penalty phase of the trial could also be lengthy, as prosecutors will argue for the death penalty if Gilday is found guilty.
The graphic nature of the crime is expected to come out during the trial. Relatives say they have prepared themselves for seeing that evidence, which they say is crucial to the case.
“Every single thing, every grisly detail needs to be shown to that jury, so that the punishment fits the crime,” Nicole said.
The trial, from jury selection to the penalty phase, could take the entire month of May.
Jordan Morgan’s family has said they would not accept a plea deal, but the judge said the latest she would accept a request is April 29.