One juror was chosen Tuesday as jury selection began in Jose Morale’s upcoming murder trial at Milford Superior Court. Morales is accused of killing his girlfriend, Christine Holloway. The two shared a 1-year-old daughter, Vanessa Morales, who disappeared at the time of the homicide and remains missing today. A panel of 12 jurors and four alternates will hear the case when it goes to trial March 18, over five years later.

On Tuesday, before jury selection started, Judge Shari Murphy made another decision about what evidence will be allowed at trial. Murphy denied a motion from the defense to exclude anything recovered from Morales’ two cellphones or clothing, which Ansonia police seized after finding Holloway beaten to death in her home Dec. 2, 2019. Data from Morales’ phones put him in Holloway’s neighborhood, despite Morales telling police otherwise, according to his arrest warrant. Tissue-like material and a reddish-brown stain on Morales’ shoes came back as Holloway’s DNA, the warrant said.

Police responded to Holloway’s home on Myrtle Avenue after she failed to show up to work and no one could get ahold of her. They discovered Holloway in the bathtub and Vanessa nowhere to be found. Morales was charged with murder and evidence tampering in Holloway’s death. He was named a suspect in Vanessa’s disappearance but never charged.

On Monday, the judge ruled against a suppression motion from the defense that aimed to keep any mention of Vanessa or her disappearance out of the trial. Murphy said the investigations into Holloway’s death and Vanessa’s disappearance were simultaneous and so intertwined that eliminating any mention of Vanessa would confuse and mislead the jury. She also said the probative value outweighs any prejudice. However, the judge told Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Howard Stein that if he plans to introduce evidence that Vanessa has been harmed in any way, he must bring that to the court beforehand outside of the jury’s presence. Murphy said that includes any testimony that Vanessa is still missing.

Morales’ mental state is expected to be a big part of the defense. According to his arrest warrant, Morales told police he was using PCP the weekend of Holloway’s death and Vanessa’s disappearance and doesn’t remember anything. But Morales said he would have never hurt them.

The warrant also highlighted items recovered from donation bins in Derby, which police said Morales was caught on camera dropping off. Many of the items, including baby clothing and toys, contained blood that matched Holloway‘s DNA, the warrant said.

Police also recovered a trash bag with Holloway’s blood on it in the trunk of Morales’ car, the warrant stated.

Jury selection continues at the Milford courthouse Wednesday.