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Jury selection begins for Brittany Norwood trial in Md. Lululemon murder case

Victim-turned-suspect, Brittany Norwood, heads to Md. court in Lululemon murder case
Brittany Norwood WUSA

(CBS/WUSA/AP) ROCKVILLE, Md. - A murder trial is getting under way for Brittany Norwood, a former Lululemon Athleticia  employee who is charged with killing her coworker after she initially told police they were both attacked in a robbery.

Jury selection is scheduled to start Monday in the trial of 27-year-old Norwood, who is accused of fatally bludgeoning Jayna Murray in March inside the Bethesda shop.

Prosecutors say the two women argued after closing hours after Murray found suspected stolen merchandise inside Norwood's bag. They say Norwood tried to conceal the killing by telling police the next morning that the women had been attacked inside the shop by two masked men.

Norwood was treated like a victim for nearly a week, while police tried to follow leads in the story she told, reports CBS affiliate WUSA. Her story to detectives had changed and they grew suspicious of her. She was arrested a week after the murder and charged as the prime suspect.

The trial in Montgomery County Circuit Court is expected to last about two weeks.

Prosecutors intend to seek a punishment of life without parole if Norwood is convicted of first-degree murder.

Norwood's attorney says she's mentally ill and is unfit to stand trial. A judge refuted that theory and scheduled the trial to start on Monday, reports the station.

More on Crimesider
March 21, 2011 - Victim-turned-suspect, Brittany Norwood, heads to Md. court in Lululemon murder case


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