Jury selection was halted at mid-morning Tuesday, Dec. 2, and the 1st degree murder trial of Dustin Jerome Jefferson may be reset for late May, 2014. Jefferson, 39, is charged in the death of his wife Kerry O’Clair Jefferson, 32, who was found dead in a Tama residence on Sept. 25, 2014, by Tama Police. Judge Stephen Jackson Jr. acted on a motion by the defense to continue the trial. From a pool of 105 jurors, jurors had been selected to possibly be seated, but State Public Defender Tom Gaul objected. Tama County Attorney Brent Heeren told The Chronicle – News- Herald “The issue was with a distinctive group of Native Americans not properly represented” in the pool of jurors. Jefferson is a member of the Meskwaki Tribe. The selection process had begun on Monday morning. All jurors were dismissed shortly after 10 a.m. Tuesday. Dustin Jefferson’s mother, Ginger Lea Jefferson, was sentenced to life in prison on July 14 for 1st degree murder in Kerry Jefferson’s death after being found guilty in a jury trial. Just before the jury brought in the verdict on May 27 of this year, Tama Police Chief Jeff Filloon filed the murder charge against Dustin Jefferson. Jefferson, 39, had been held in the Tama County Jail on five counts of 3rd degree sexual abuse since Oct. 13, 2013. He was charged with allegedly having sexual relations with a 12-year-old female at various times between May and July, 2013. Those charges were filed by Meskwaki Nation Tribal Police Detective Craig Karr. He has been held on $1 million cash bail on the murder charge and $30,000 cash bail on the sexual abuse charges.