Murder Trial to Begin in Longtime Newark Cold Case

The murder trial of a New Jersey man accused of killing five Newark teenagers in 1978 is expected to begin this week.     

Jury selection began Friday in the case of Lee Evans, one of two suspects charged in what was one of New Jersey's longest-running cold cases.     

The other, Philander Hampton, pleaded guilty and was given a 10 year prison sentence earlier this month.     

Hampton is expected to testify against Evans, who plans to represent himself.

Hampton told authorities in 2008 that he and Evans lured the teens to an abandoned house in Newark with the promise of odd jobs. Hampton says they then locked them inside and set the house on fire.     

The attack allegedly was prompted by stolen drugs. The bodies of the five teens were never recovered.