Trial in Murder-Arson Case Begins Today in Mississippi

Jury selection is expected to begin today in George County for the capital murder trial of Joseph B. Goff, charged in the August 2004 slaying of Brandy Yates.

Goff of Theodore, Ala., is charged with killing Yates, 29, in a George County motel room and torching the room to cover up the death.

Goff was taken into custody after a traffic stop by a Mississippi Highway Patrol officer in Vicksburg about 12 hours after the body of Yates was found in Rocky Creek Inn. Goff has remained in the George County Regional Correctional Facility since the time of his arrest.

Distributed by the Associated Press