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WILKES-BARRE — Jury selection has begun for a pair of men accused of killing a prominent local DJ five years ago. But as the hours wore on Monday, potential jurors were sent home without a jury being set.
Roberto Battle and David Nealy are accused in the Oct. 13, 2013, death of Michael Onley, who performed under the name DJ Mo, outside of the former Outsider’s Bar on South Main Street in Wilkes-Barre.
Jury selection was set to begin at 9 a.m. Monday, but the process was slow-going, thanks in part to Battle and Nealy being represented by two different attorneys. That means both attorneys, in addition to prosecutors, need to agree on a jury, unlike a typical case which only relies on one defense team and the prosecutors agreeing.
By the time the courthouse closed at 4:30 p.m., the parties had individually interviewed approximately a third of the 100 potential jurors. The potential jurors are to return to court at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
According to prosecutors, Battle and Nealy killed Onley in a drive-by shooting after they had been kicked out of the bar earlier that night.
Nealy was driving the car, while Battle fired the shot that killed Onley, they say.
Battle and Nealy were arrested in May 2017 after a federal inmate, Shakim Varick, allegedly made a statement implicating them in the crime.
Battle was arrested by U.S. Marshals in New York City without incident, but was not extradited to Pennsylvania until October. Nealy was already incarcerated at SCI-Frackville for unrelated drug charges.
