Trial In 2012 Slaying Of Baby, Grandmother In Montco Set To Begin This Week
By Brad Segall
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (CBS) —- Jury selection is scheduled to begin today in Montgomery County, Pa. for the trial of a King of Prussia man accused of murdering a ten-month-old girl and her grandmother nearly two years ago in a botched kidnapping plot.
Raghu Yandamuri, 27, is still facing the death penalty if he's convicted of first-degree murder in the deaths of the toddler and her grandmother. He told the judge yesterday he still wants to defend himself.
Prosecutors allege that Yandamuri kidnapped ten-month-old Saanvi Venna from her family's King of Prussia apartment in October 2012 and killed the baby's grandmother after the woman tried to protect the child.
The girl's body was found several days later.
During pre-trial motions, Yandamuri argued that he wants some crime scene photos kept out of the trial, telling the judge he believes they will enflame the passions of the jury.
"Right now he seems to have an idea of where he's going, and the photographs, I think, he wants all of those out," says Steve Heckman, Yandamuri's court-appointed standby attorney. "So right now, I don't think there's any middle ground with my client."
Yandamuri's mother flew in from India and his attorneys are working to get the two together. His likely defense: that he was forced to go to the apartment by two men but did not commit the crimes.
The trial was scheduled to open last week but was delayed to allow him to look into forensic evidence and confer with an investigator.
It could take all week to seat a jury.