Full Jury Seated in Fujita Trial

The 16th juror, a woman, was seated at 12:45 p.m. Tuesday, rounding out the panel of jurors and alternates who will decide the verdict in the murder trial of Nathaniel Fujita.

Fujita, now 20, was 18 years old at the time prosecutors say he killed classmate and ex-girlfriend Lauren Astley, 18, and dumped her battered and strangled body in a Wayland marsh near the Sudbury border.

The jury consists of 16 individuals, though only 12 will decide the verdict on the case. The total composition is 10 men and six women.

During the first day of juror interviews, seven individuals were impaneled.

Only one juror, a woman, is a minority, and the majority appears to be middle-aged.

William Sullivan, Fujita’s lawyer, would not comment in detail on what he and his client were looking for during the juror interviews.

“What we were looking for is a juror that could be fair and impartial,” Sullivan said.

Fujita sat next to Sullivan Tuesday, dressed in a black suit, blue shirt and tie, and appeared to interact with his attorney regularly, making notes and watching as potential jurors were interviewed.

Judge Peter Lauriat has instructed all jurors to avoid social media throughout the case in the interest of avoiding accidesntal exposure to comments or reports about the trial. In addition, he’s instructed them to avoid reading, watching or receiving media accounts of the trial.

“The business you are about in this case is serious,” Lauriat said.

Opening statements in the trial are scheduled to take place Wednesday, beginning at 9 a.m.

Editor's Note: We incorrectly reported that the alternates had been chosen. Sixteen jurors have been selected overall.