Jury seated in Georgia peanut salmonella trial

ALBANY, Ga. (AP) — A jury has been seated to hear the trial of three people charged in connection with a deadly salmonella outbreak traced to a southwest Georgia peanut plant five years ago.

The final panel of 12 jurors was selected Thursday morning in U.S. District Court in Albany. Six alternates also were chosen. The judge dismissed the jury early, with opening statements scheduled for Friday morning.

The trial is expected to last at least two months.

Former Peanut Corp. of America owner Stewart Parnell; his brother and food broker, Michael Parnell; and the peanut plant's quality control manager, Mary Wilkerson, are charged with shipping tainted peanuts and covering up lab results showing nuts tested positive for salmonella.

Nine people died and more than 700 were sickened in the outbreak.