With jury picked, agent’s trial can begin

A jury has been selected for the trial of State Department agent Christopher Deedy on a murder charge in the 2011 shooting of a Kailua man in Waikiki.

The nine men and three women were told Tuesday to return July 1 to Circuit Judge Karen Ahn’s courtroom for opening statements.

The panel was selected more quickly than expected in the high-profile case during the selection process, which lasted about three weeks.

The trial’s opening date, which was set before the jury selection, remains the same.

The potential jurors were told that July 1 would be the start of the trial and that lawyers had arranged for witnesses to appear for trial at that time.

The jurors were told not to read, watch or expose themselves to any media reports about the case.

Four alternates were also selected for the trial, which is scheduled to last one to two months.

Deedy, 29, is charged with murdering Kollin Elderts, 23, early on the morning of Nov. 11, 2011, at the McDonald’s restaurant on Kuhio Avenue.

Deedy was in Hono­lulu to provide security for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference.

The Virginia resident is free on $250,000 bail.