Jury selection begins in Tampa arson, triple-murder trial

TAMPA, Fla. - He's accused of killing three people and burning down a home, to cover his tracks. Now, he's about to stand trial. 

Jury selection begins Monday in the triple-murder trial of Xavier Whitehead.

Detectives may not have been able to crack this case without a key piece of video. As the Tampa home went up in flames, a neighbor’s security camera captured a man walking with a gas can in his hands.

Once firefighters put the flames out, three bodies were found inside. A medical examiner’s report cited all three had died as a result of upper body trauma, killed before the fire was set. 

This video proved a crucial clue that led detectives to Whitehead. He and a co-defendant are now being charged with the murders of roommates Derek Archie, Haley Stone, and Xavier Greene 

If pre-trial hearings are any indication, it appears unlikely the jury will hear from Whitehead at all in his own defense. Whitehead wouldn’t so much as even look up at, let alone respond to the judge, in a recent court appearance, despite pleas from his own attorney. 

The trial is expected to last a week.