700 tapped as potential jurors in George Thomas trial

Preparations for jury selection have already begun in a high-profile murder case.

Some 700 East Tennesseans received letters with a summons from Judge Richard Baumgartner, notifying them they might be selected as jurors for the death-penalty murder trial.

George Thomas is accused along with three others of the rape and murder of Channon Christian and Chris Newsom in January 2007. Thomas is the first to go to trial in state court on August 11.

The letter from Judge Baumgartner asked jurors to refrain from media exposure regarding the case.

"He just let them know what the case was, and that it was a capital case, and requested that the prospective jurors not talk to anybody about them recieving a summons or talk to the media, not to read the newspapers or Internet--anything having to do with this capital case," Criminal Court Clerk Joy McCroskey said.

The letter asked jurors to report to the Knoxville Civic Coliseum on Monday, July 21, at 9 a.m.

Potential jurors will have to fill out a questionnaire regarding their knowledge of the case.

Eric Boyd has already been convicted in federal court of being an accessory after the fact for helping Lemaricus Davidson evade law enforcement in the days after Christian and Newsom were murdered.

His sentencing is set for August 15.