Ennis Cosby

In this story:

• Jury selection so far
• Individual questioning
• Prosecution evidence
• The defense
• Bill Cosby: 'Forget me and my feelings'
• Related stories and sites

SANTA MONICA, California (CNN) -- Individual interviewing of prospective jurors in the trial of Michael Markhasev was to get under way on Tuesday, exactly 17 months after comedian Bill Cosby's only son was fatally shot to death.

Ennis Cosby, 27, was gunned down on January 16, 1997, after he pulled off a Los Angeles freeway to change a flat tire.

Police say Markhasev was out looking for drug money with a couple of friends, saw Cosby, then shot him during an attempted robbery.

Jury selection so far

Lawyers have spent the past two weeks going over questionnaires filled out by some 180 prospective jurors.

Markhasev

The 20-page forms -- designed to reveal feelings that could prove powerful when jurors enter deliberations -- included questions about how much tabloid TV they watched and whether they watched Bill Cosby programs.

Jurors have also have been asked if they knew that Markhasev, a 19-year-old Ukrainian immigrant who moved to Los Angeles with his mother in 1989, was a reputed gang member with a troubled past.

Individual questioning

The questions were expected to go deeper as individual juror interviews got under way Tuesday.

At issue: Can jurors put aside everything they have heard or read and judge the case purely on the evidence presented in court?

"The defense has to find out if any jurors have an agenda to avenge the killing of Bill Cosby's son," said Laurie Levenson, associate dean of Loyola University Law School.

Prosecutor Anne Ingalls has filed a motion asking to seal the jurors' names. She claims that jurors could be in danger of physical harm or harassment if their names were known. She offered no evidence that threats have been made by anyone.

Prosecution evidence

Police at the scene of the January 1997 shooting

The prosecution says its evidence consists of:

• A .38-caliber pistol linked to Cosby's death.
• A knit cap, linked to Markhasev through DNA, that was found with the pistol.
• Incriminating letters allegedly written by Markhasev while in jail.

Authorities also say:

• Markhasev's companions have implicated him.
• Stephanie Crane, who they believe Cosby was en route to see on the night of the killing, provided a detailed description of the killer that led to a composite drawing of a suspect.

The defense

Markhasev, represented by two public defenders, has entered not guilty pleas to charges of murder and attempted armed robbery.

The defense contends:

• The murder weapon did not have Markhasev's fingerprints.
• Markhasev did not write incriminating letters.
• His companions face criminal cases of their own, raising questions about their credibility.
• Crane failed to identify Markhasev in a police lineup.

Bill Cosby: 'Forget me and my feelings'

"The victim is Ennis ..." -- Bill Cosby

Although Bill Cosby is not expected to attend the trial, his image will dominate the proceedings.

Superior Court Judge David Perez banned cameras from the courtroom for fear that daily installments in the trial would become "TV episodes."

Bill Cosby said he hopes the public doesn't lose sight of what the trial is really about. "Forget me and my feelings. I'm talking about the victim," he told CNN. 264K/25 sec. AIFF or WAV sound

The trial is expected to last four to six weeks.

Correspondent Greg LaMotte and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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