Jury selection begins for man accused in 2006 death of former beauty queen

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A decade after a former beauty queen was buried alive, one of her accused killers is standing trial.
 
Prosecutors believe Darice Knowles, 22 years old at the time of her death, was killed because of what she knew about another Brevard County homicide.
 
Prosecutors said they're seeking the death penalty for Vahtiece Kirkman, 37, who is already serving a life sentence in prison for murdering Willie Parker. He was indicted in 2012.
 
Knowles, a college student and former Bahamian beauty queen, was killed in 2006. She was buried alive and encased in concrete on a wooded lot in Cocoa for what prosecutors believe she knew about Parker's murder.
 
Knowles' body was recovered in 2010.

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Jury selection began Monday and jurors are likely to hear from Knowles’ ex-boyfriend, Christopher Pratt, who was a defendant in the case. He is serving a 20-year sentence in the murders of Knowles and Parker.

Pratt said he saw Knowles speaking with a police officer and believed she may have told him about his and Kirkman’s involvement in Parker’s death. He also said Kirkman ordered him at gunpoint to dig a hole, use duct tape to restrain Knowles, and pour concrete and dirt over her.

As part of his plea agreement, Pratt revealed the location of Knowles' body.

It will likely take several days to seat a jury.

Cox Media Group