Christopher Garnier pleads not guilty to murder of Catherine Campbell, jury selection underway

Jury selection is now underway at Nova Scotia Supreme Court for a high profile murder trial.

Christopher Garnier stands accused of second-degree murder in connection with the death of Catherine Campbell, an off-duty police officer.

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Campbell was a six-year veteran of the Truro Police Service and a volunteer firefighter for a decade before her death.

Her body was found under the overpass to the Macdonald Bridge two years ago.

In addition to the murder charge, Garnier is also facing a charge of improperly interfering with human remains.

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Garnier, 29, pleaded not guilty to both charges against him Monday afternoon.

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Christine Driscoll and Carla Ball are the Crown Attorneys on the case. Well-known defence lawyer Joel Pink is representing Garnier.

The trial is scheduled to last 23 court days, with the case expected to sit Monday to Thursday. Justice Josh Arnold, who is presiding over the matter, told potential jurors on Monday the trial could be shorter or go longer then the time allotted.

Approximately 1,200 people received notice to appear in court as potential jurors. The court heard Monday that 243 of those summoned for jury duty failed to show up to court.

Once a jury is selected, the trial will begin hearing testimony. That likely won’t happen until Tuesday.