Jury selection was expected to continue today in Polk Superior Court in the capital murder case of Christopher Eugene Brown, 22, of Rockmart, charged with the double murder of two Rockmart women in the summer of 2000.

The case is the first capital murder case in Polk County in many years.

Brown faces a jury trial before Superior Court Judge Richard Sutton for the murder of Irene Arp, 79, and her daughter, Linda Arp Buchanan, 59, which occurred at the mother’s home at 416 Depot Street in Rockmart on June 23, 2000.

Brown was charged earlier with murder, three counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated sexual battery, aggravated battery, two counts or burglary and two counts of theft by taking.

According to authorities, Brown who had been in the Polk County Jail since June 30, 2000 illegally entered Arp’s home at 416 Depot Street the night of June 23.

He is accused of asphyxiating Arp to death and beating to death Mrs. Buchanan of which he received the aggravated sexual battery and aggravated battery offenses.

Brown was initially arrested six days after the double murder by Polk County Police on a probation violation charge. The district attorney’s office, at the time of the arrest, would not say how investigators tracked down the suspect or the motive in the murders.

The case will be prosecuted by Polk County District Attorney Don Wilson. Brown’s defense includes local attorney Lee Hinley and Jimmy Berry of Cobb County.

If convicted, Brown could face jury sentencing of execution, life in prison with no chance of parole or life in prison with chance of parole.

Jury selection is expected to last nearly a week and the trial could take two weeks after the jury is seated according to court officials.