More than twenty years after hospital secretary Theresa Ann Green was killed, an Orange County jury is finally being picked to hear the capital case against the man accused of her death.
Jury selection opened yesterday in the capital trial of 59-year-old DeMorris Hunter, who is charged in the 2002 killing of Green. Hunter is being held at the Orange County Jail and faces the possibility of the death penalty if he is convicted. Court officials expect jury selection to continue through Thursday, April 2, with opening statements scheduled for Monday, April 6, 2026.
What investigators say
Investigators say Green, a hospital secretary who lived in College Park, was strangled, and that her body was later found in the trunk of her white Oldsmobile in a Walgreens parking lot in Sanford. Neighbors and early case records indicate Hunter was living nearby at the Bay Run II apartments under the alias Michael Berry when Green disappeared, and that he left the area shortly after the killing. Those details are outlined in reporting from WESH.
Criminal history and extradition
Hunter has a lengthy criminal record in California and was convicted there in an unrelated killing that resulted in a roughly 110-year sentence, according to earlier coverage. He was captured in the early 2000s, then extradited to Florida in 2015 to face the indictment in Green’s death, and he has been detained in Orange County since that transfer. Those background details were reported by WFTV.
Trial schedule and recent delays
Prosecutors and court filings show the case has been delayed repeatedly by legal maneuvering, pandemic-era court slowdowns, and more recent medical complications for the defendant. Prosecutors first signaled their intent to seek the death penalty in 2015, when Hunter was returned to Florida, and court calendars show jury selection could run into Thursday before opening statements the following week. Those timelines and penalty details appear in the reporting from ClickOrlando.
Legal implications
Because the state has pursued capital charges, a conviction would automatically trigger a separate sentencing phase in which jurors weigh aggravating and mitigating factors before recommending either death or life in prison. Defense attorneys have sought to unseal grand jury material and to remove capital exposure from the case, but a judge has denied several of those motions at recent hearings. Coverage of those motions and courtroom rulings was reported by WESH.
What comes next
Court calendars show jury selection continuing through April 2, with opening statements set for April 6 and a trial schedule that could stretch for weeks, given the capital nature of the prosecution. Family members and neighbors told reporters they have waited decades for what they hope will be a resolution, and observers expect heavy security and lengthy voir dire during the coming days. Initial coverage of Monday’s proceedings, along with notes about Hunter’s custody status and the court schedule, was published by ClickOrlando.
