FOND DU LAC, Wis. (AP) -- Roughly 80 potential jurors filed into a courtroom on the second floor of the Fond du Lac County courthouse on Monday morning, as jury selection began in the murder trial of Dennis Brantner.
Brantner, 62, is accused of killing 18-year old Berit Beck in July, 1990.
Beck was driving from her home in Racine County to a job seminar in Appleton, when authorities allege she stopped at a mall in Fond du Lac.
Her vehicle was found a few days later, and on August 22, 1990, her body was discovered in a ditch in rural Fond du Lac County.
The case went cold for more than two decades.
But in 2014, testing tied fingerprints found on items inside Beck's vehicle to Brantner. He was charged with First Degree Murder in 2015, according to online court records.
Potential jurors Monday were questioned by Judge Gary Sharpe, and attorneys from both the prosecution and defense, about their knowledge of the Beck case and any possible biases they may have formed.
In the end, 15 jurors will hear the case. The standard 12 jurors will deliberate, with three jurors serving as alternates.
The trial is expected to last roughly two weeks.
Opening statements could come as soon as Monday afternoon. Brantner was arrested in March 2015. He has denied any involvement in Beck's death.
Jury selection will start Monday morning in a Fond du Lac County courtroom. The trial is expected to last about three weeks.
