Six hours not enough to get jury for alleged killer of campus cop

Tuesday, Jan. 12, 1999 | 9:19 a.m.

Jury selection was to continue at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Washoe District Court for the trial of Siaosi Vanisi, 28, who faces the death penalty if he is found guilty of killing Sgt. George Sullivan.

The court adjourned about 5:30 p.m. on Monday after spending about six hours on jury selection. More than half of the prospective jurors acknowledged they remembered something about the case.

Sullivan was a 43-year-old married father of five and 19-year veteran of the UNR force. Wednesday marks the one year anniversary of his death.

Washoe County District Attorney Richard Gammick said Vanisi allegedly killed Sullivan with a hatchet. He said the suspect deliberately set out that night to kill a police officer and bragged about it afterwards.

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