Murder trial begins in Mobile in parking lot shooting
May 09, 2008 08:30 EDT

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) -- The capital murder trial for a man accused of shooting his former girlfriend to death as she left work at a Subway restaurant has begun after three days of jury selection.

Prosecutors said in opening statements Thursday that Garrett Dotch of Mobile was cold-blooded as he planned Timarla Taldon's death two years ago. Defense lawyers argued that Dotch is mentally ill and therefore cannot be found guilty.

Both Dotch and Taldon were 24 when she was shot to death as she sat in her car in a parking lot outside the restaurant. Fellow employees took her inside and tried to resuscitate her, but the woman died at the scene.

Police spokesman Eric Gallichant said at the time that the couple had a history of domestic violence and had broken up.

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Information from: Press-Register, http://www.al.com/mobileregister