Trial postponed for Martice Fuller, Kenosha County teen charged in shooting death of ex-girlfriend

KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The trial of Martice Fuller, the teen accused of shooting and killing his ex-girlfriend, has been postponed.

Fuller is accused of shooting and killing his ex-girlfriend, Kaylie Juga, in May 2019. Kaylie's mom was also shot, but survived. 

Fuller and Juga's family filled the court room to capacity expecting opening statements Monday, Feb. 17, but instead the trial was pushed back until May. 

The 14-person jury was selected Friday, Feb. 14 out of a pool of 125 potential jurors. But over the weekend, the District Attorney revealed Fuller made three phone calls from jail on a recorded line to a family member and two other people -- asking them to talk to relatives of some of the jurors. 

"You cannot more profoundly corrupt a room, like this court room, than to be in a situation where you’re trying to have a jury contacted by outside means,"Michael Graveley, Kenosha County District Attorney, said. "There's nothing you can do that is more manipulative to this process."

The defense argued that if the phone calls were used as evidence in the trial then the jury could not remain impartial.

"If those calls are played for the jury I think that it is impossible at that point for Mr. Fuller to recieve a fair trial," Carl Johnson, defense attorney, said. 

To ensure a fair trial the judge adjourned the trial and postponed it while the state investigates the phone calls. Fuller was also ordered not to have any contact with the people he called over the weekend.

"This is a very serious serious allegation and all efforts should be made to prevent any further attempt to tamper with any jurors," said Kenosha County Judge Mary Kay Wagner. 

Juga's loved ones are upset they have to wait even longer for justice. 

"I think all of us our disappointed, and the fact that he has absolutely no remorse that he would go to the extent to do something like this is unbelievable," Maribel Fanelle, a close friend of the Juga family, said.