by Nathan Gonzalez - Aug. 19, 2010 12:13 PM
The Republic | azcentral.com
More than 3½ years have passed since the body of Jacqueline "Jackie" Hartman was found in the desert.
After a recent court hearing, the trial for the Gilbert woman's accused killer is set to begin Oct. 7. On Tuesday, Judge Karen L. O'Connor ordered a document in the case to be sealed.
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Update
Jury selection in the trial of Jonathan Ian Burns, 29, is scheduled to begin in Maricopa County Superior Court on Oct. 7, court documents state. The Mesa man faces felony charges of first-degree murder, sexual assault, kidnapping and weapons misconduct in Hartman's death and disappearance in January 2007.
Hartman's disappearance sparked national interest and a large-scale search. Her body was found in a remote part of the desert northeast of Fountain Hills.
Background
Hartman, 19, was last seen after her first date with Burns on Jan. 28, according to Gilbert police. Investigators arrested Burns the next day, after police found her bullet-ridden, torn clothing in a dumpster near Burns' home in Mesa.
Burns later admitted to having sex with Hartman, but said he dropped her off afterward so she could meet up with her family. Police, strangers and Hartman's family and friends searched for three weeks but found no signs of the woman.
Investigators ultimately tracked Burns' movement throughout the Valley by following his cellphone signal as it bounced from cell tower to cell tower toward Shea Boulevard and Highway 87, according to Gilbert police. While detectives were in the area, an ATV rider discovered Hartman's body on Feb. 19, 2007.
What's next?
Burns faces the death penalty if convicted. His next court hearing is scheduled for Sept. 9.
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