The trial for a North Fort Myers man facing the death penalty after being accused of killing and sexually abusing a two-year-old girl is set to begin Monday.
Jury selection began at 8:30 a.m. for Nicholas Stephen Canfield, 30, who is facing three counts of child abuse, one count of sexual battery and one count of first-degree murder.
On April 29, 2020, deputies with the Lee County Sheriff's Office responded to a medical call at the girl's home on West Mariana Avenue in North Fort Myers.
When they arrived, deputies said they found Canfield trying to revive the girl he claimed to have found unresponsive in the bathtub.
According to LCSO, there were fresh bruises, swelling and other physical trauma to the girl's body.
Canfield was dating the girl's mother at the time, who was at work when deputies arrived. According to the arrest report, there were two more children in the home at the time.
Authorities said the other children also showed signs of abuse.
Trial was originally scheduled to begin in late January, 2024, but the judge declared a mistrial due to Canfield's attorney having a medical issue.
The state said they are seeking the death penalty, calling Canfield's alleged crime "heinous."
The trial is scheduled to run until April 11, with jury selection potentially taking up a week.
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