Opening statements expected in Florida tourists murder trial

Opening statements are expected today in the murder trial of Shawn Tyson accused of murdering two Midlands men in Florida.

The case is generating big interest in the local community of Sarasota where James Kouzaris from Northampton and James Cooper from Warwick were shot.

The trial is being covered extensively on social networks like Twitter.

This report by the local paper, The Sarasota Herald-Tribune, shows even the process of jury selection is coming in for close scrutiny.

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Sarasota captured international headlines in April 2011 when two British tourists wandered into the city’s toughest neighborhood after a night of partying and were shot and killed.

Police arrested Shawn Tyson, a 16-year-old Newtown resident, with killing James Cooper, 25, and James Kouzaris, 24. Reports say it was a robbery gone bad.

The murders highlighted Sarasota as a city of contrasts. Typically known by affluent foreigners for its beaches and arts scene, British tabloids began to label the city’s northern neighborhood a "gangland."

Tyson, now 17, is being tried for first degree murder as an adult. He could face life in prison.

The murder trial will hinge largely on testimony from people who knew Tyson, including former friends who say they heard him bragging about killing Cooper and Kouzaris.

Police have linked shell casings to the .22-caliber pistol friends say he flaunted in the neighborhood.

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Reproduced with permission from Sarasota Herald-Tribune