No-show juror booted from Tampa murder trial

TAMPA, Fla. - One of the jurors seated in the Tampa murder trial against McKinsie Lyons was booted after not showing up on the second day of trial. 

What we know:

Juror #11 was seated in Lyons' murder trial last week. On Friday, his juror number was called, and he switched from one of many, to one of the few who would hear the evidence against accused double murder suspect Lyons.

Ultimately, that would include the death penalty phase in the case.

The backstory:

Lyons was charged with two counts of first-degree murder for killing a man and a woman in Ruskin in 2018.

McKinsie Lyons in court

The murders took place as a part of a planned robbery. The victims resisted, and Hillsborough County deputies say that Lyons shot them to death.

Alexis Martinez and Juanita Solorzano were determined to be victims of homicidal violence. Solorzano was pregnant at the time of the murders, which caused investigators to add another criminal charge to the case. 

Victims Alexis Martinez and Juanita Solorzano

The investigation into the case led them to Lyons, who was arrested in Kentucky and extradited back to Tampa to face the capital murder charges in this case. The case hinged on the testimony of known accomplice Samona Louise Ramey. She is expected to testify in the case for the prosecution.

Samona Ramey

What they're saying:

Today in court, Tampa Judge Robin Fuson was notified that the trial would have to be delayed due to a late juror.

Judge Robin Fuson

Fuson took exception to this, as the timing of the court is of serious importance, as witnesses subpoenaed to testify come from out of town and have to wait segregated until their time to testify. The prosecution and defense choreography is such that losing an hour could make a three-day trial a four-day trial and the logistics could trickle down to impact other cases set for the same courtroom.

When asked, the bailiffs related that the late juror was the same one who was late on the first day of the trial. Fuson looked into it and found that Juror #11 was late in jury selection, late again on the first day of the trial and now late again for the second day of the trial. 

The judge noted the time and made the decision to excuse the juror from the case, opting to elevate one of the alternate jurors instead. The defense objected to the juror being removed, but Fuson overruled the objection based on the timeliness of the case moving along.

The judge called the juror from the bench directly to inform him that he was removed from the case.

What's next:

The trial continued once the juror was removed. The case is advancing with just a single alternate now instead of two.

The prosecution is still presenting their case.