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Work begins on long-awaited roundabouts in Nanticoke

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Youngsters help Wyoming Seminary wrestling beat Bergen Catholic in nationally-ranked showdown

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Jury selection is slated to begin Monday in the trial of alleged killer Jessica Lynn Alinsky.</p><p>Alinsky, 32, of Shenandoah, was a month away from being locked behind bars for up to 40 years when she withdrew her guilty plea on a third-degree murder charge in April 2014, claiming her innocence in the Sept. 2, 2011 shooting death of her boyfriend, Matthew Gailie.</p><p>Nearly two years later, Alinsky is set to stand trial this week on charges she pulled the trigger at point-blank rage, then altered the crime scene to make it look like the 34-year-old corrections officer turned the gun on himself.</p><p>Gailie was found dead on the living room floor &#8212; a single gunshot to the face &#8212; inside the Hazle Township home the two shared.</p><p>Prosecutors said Alinsky provided investigators conflicting accounts of what happened, including variations in which she claimed Gailie shot himself.</p><p>According to the criminal complaint:</p><p>Alinsky first told police she had been upstairs when Gailie shot himself following an argument. Next, she told police she was downstairs in a bathroom when she heard a &#8220;pop.&#8221; She then came out of the bathroom and saw Gailie on the floor.</p><p>In a third account of the incident, Alinsky told police she was in the living room when she saw Gailie shoot himself. Finally, she told police the two were in the living room together, and she tried to wrestle the gun away from Gailie before it went off.</p><p>Later, Alinsky allegedly offered an ominous admission to police.</p><p>&#8220;Did I kill him? My finger was on the trigger,&#8221; Alinsky said.</p><p>&#8220;Our fight caused this to happen,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;I did this. What am I going to do without him?&#8221;</p><p>Alinsky later denied shooting Gailie or altering the crime scene and tampering with evidence in any way. But two days later, Alinsky again changed her story.</p><p>In an interview on Sept. 4, 2011, she told police she lied and she did in fact move Gailie&#8217;s body. She also allegedly admitted to placing the 9 mm pistol in his left hand and not immediately dialing 911 for help.</p><p>An autopsy by pathologist Gary Ross later indicated Gailie was shot from a distance of 5 to 7 inches away and the shot placement and trajectory of the bullet were inconsistent with suicide. Ross ruled the death a homicide.</p><p>Alinsky pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in April 2014. Part of the plea agreement saw the charges of tampering with evidence dropped. But the next month, she withdrew her plea in a surprise move and the case was sent to trial.</p><p>Alinsky will be represented this week by new counsel, Kingston-based attorney Demetrius Fannick.</p><p>Alinsky&#8217;s former lawyer, Jeffrey M. Markosky of Mahanoy City, requested to be released from the case due to &#8220;significant philosophical differences&#8221; between the two over &#8220;the most appropriate defense to raise at trial,&#8221; according to papers he filed in 2014 with Judge Tina Polachek Gartley, who will preside over this week&#8217;s trial.</p><p>Gartley said Thursday during a pre-trial conference that jury selection will begin around 9:30 a.m., with witness testimony likely to follow sometime early Monday afternoon.</p><p>Gartley also indicated national media outlets have reached out to her chambers in the last few weeks regarding coverage of the trial. Jurors, the judge stressed, should be instructed &#8220;not to talk to anyone when they come in.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Alinsky </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_alinsky_2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Alinsky </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Joe Dolinsky</p><p>jdolinsky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Jessica Alinsky to stand trial this week in boyfriend’s murder