Jury Selection Underway in Bathtub Murder Trial

Jury selection began this week in the murder trial of Kleber Cordova of Morristown, who is accused in the May 2008 drowning of his wife, Eliana Torres.

Cordova, now 32, is accused of murder, child endangerment, witness tampering, tampering with evidence and hindering apprehension in the death of his 26-year-old wife. He has pleaded not guilty.

The start of the trial has been delayed several times, due to illness and pre-trial challenges filed by Cordova’s public defender Jessica Moses. Superior County Judge David H. Ironson will hear the case. Morris County Executive Assistant Prosecutor Maggie Calderwood and Assistant Prosecutor Brian DiGiacomo will present the state’s case.

Ironson said jury selection is expected to take two weeks, with an expected trial start date of March 8. He said the trial is expected to last until April. Testimony will be heard on Tuesdays through Thursdays, he said.

The case was subject to pre-trial hearings for nearly two years, as lawyers debated whether Cordova–an Ecuadoran immigrant in the United States illegally, who speaks little to no English–had his Miranda rights violated after he'd confessed to drowning Torres in the bathtub of their Western Avenue apartment on May 8, 2008.

On Thursday morning, a group of roughly 50 possible jurors was trimmed by more than half, most being dismissed from the trial during the phase of juror questioning when they were asked about any conflicts with the schedule of the trial, or any personal financial or medical concerns that could affect their ability to participate.