Murder Trial For Georgia Dentist Set To Begin; Family Of Dolly Hearn Reacts

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By Melody Bostic

Jury selection begins on Thursday for Gwinnett County dentist Barton Corbin.

Corbin, who had a dental practice in Dacula, is accused of killing his wife, Jennifer, in the head at their Buford home in the early hours on December 4th, 2004.

He also faces murder charges in Richmond County for the 1990 shooting death of dental student, Dolly Hearn, in Augusta.

Corbin maintains his innocence in both cases. His attorneys contend both women committed suicide.

The court has ruled that evidence from the Hearn case may be used in the trial in Gwinnett County.

The jury selection process is scheduled to begin tomorrow with a
judge hearing from potential jurors who say they must be excused
from service. Actual jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday.

Opening statements in the trial are expected to begin about two weeks later. The trial could last up to a month.

Dolly Hearn's family is reacting to the Gwinnett County trial and released the following statement to NBC 26 News:

"The family spent the first 14 1/2 years after Dolly's death with little or no hope for justice. Although we have always been confident of the circumstances surrounding her death, we deeply regret that a second tragedy had to occur to reveal this truth. We pray that there are no other connected tragedies that have yet to be discovered.

As we continue through this long and arduous process, we anxiously prepare ourselves as Dolly's character will inevitably be attacked through half-truths, exaggerations, and false statements as evidenced through the pre-trial hearings. Most importantly, we remain cautiously optimistic that justice will be served through the continued hard work of those in official capacities who are affiliated with both cases.

Over the past 20 months we have been given not only hope, but the opportunity once again to share the joy and happiness that Dolly brought to the world through her smile, unique personality, and passion for life. We have made a conscious decision to focus our comments during this experience on the positive elements, because that approach is consistent with the way Dolly embraced life and reflective of the manner in which she would want to be remembered."

The Hearn Family

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