Jurors in Smith trial face daunting task

Presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Fair and impartial.
Beyond a reasonable doubt.
Those are among the key phrases that are going to weigh heavily on the jurors selected for the Delmer Smith III murder trial that begins Monday at the Manatee County Judicial Center.
They must render judgment on a man who has remained a sinister specter in the community’s consciousness for the past three years.
The shaved head.
The scowl.
The history of violence.
Twelve Manatee County residents must look beyond Smith’s severe countenance for the truth as he goes on trial for his life over the brutal slaying of Kathleen Briles at her family’s home just off Terra Ceia Bay on Aug. 3, 2009.
That was three years ago last Friday.

Read more Sunday in Mannix About Manatee on Bradenton.com.