PARIS — The jury selection for the trial of a Windham man accused of murder will continue next week, after a lengthy questioning process delayed the formation of a panel Friday.

The selection process for the case of Agostino J. Samson will resume at 10 a.m. Monday in Oxford County Superior Court. Samson, 23, of River Road, is charged with murdering 25-year-old Scott Libby of Raymond in Bethel in February.

Samson pleaded not guilty to the charge in May.

Libby was found dead in his 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt after it was hit by a westbound train at about 2:45 a.m. Feb. 20. The car had been driven 200 feet down the railroad tracks off the Barker Road crossing. An autopsy determined that Libby died of asphyxia and blunt-force trauma to the head before the collision.

According to an affidavit by Detective Herbert Leighton of the Maine State Police, Libby met with Samson in a hostel near the site in the late evening of Feb. 19 to collect a $400 loan he had given Samson and return a watch and bracelet he had taken as collateral. Samson worked for Libby’s landscaping business in the summer before Libby’s death.

Approximately 80 people showed up in court and filled out a questionnaire regarding the case and their ability to serve as jurors. The questions asked whether they had heard anything about the case and whether they would be able to serve for the extended period the trial is expected to take. The questionnaire also sought to determine the potential jurors’ beliefs and attitudes in various areas.

 
The jury pool was asked if they had had any prior dealings with Samson, Assistant Attorney General Andrew Benson or defense attorney Maurice Porter. Five people said they were acquainted with one of the attorneys, and three people said they were acquainted with Samson.

Jurors were also asked if they knew any of 55 potential witnesses in the case. The witnesses include 12 from the Maine State Police, three from the Maine State Police Crime Laboratory and two from the Medical Examiner’s Office.

On Friday afternoon, at least 26 individuals were questioned in private by Benson and Porter. Justice Andrew Horton ended the proceedings at the close of the court day around 4:30 p.m., and excused 29 people from returning on Monday.

Horton said the attorneys need to question at least 37 potential jurors to allow for each attorney to remove jurors they object to. Horton also said he plans to issue an order to show cause to 25 people who were called for jury duty but failed to show up on Friday. He said the absentees may be punished with a fine or jail time if they do not provide an adequate reason for failing to appear.

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