BOSTON (Reuters) – The long-awaited trial of accused Boston mobster James “Whitey” Bulger, who evaded an FBI hunt for 16 years before his arrest in 2011, starts on Wednesday with opening statements from prosecutors and defense attorneys.

Bulger is accused of committing or ordering 19 murders while running Boston’s “Winter Hill” crime gang in the 1970s and 80s. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges — which also include extortion and racketeering — and faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted.

BOSTON (Reuters) – Court officials on Tuesday seated a jury of 12 members and six alternates to hear the trial of accused mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger, after a difficult selection process for one of Boston’s longest-running crime dramas.

The case has been highly publicized in Boston for decades and many of the hundreds of jurors questioned over the past week had personal connections, either knowing relatives of victims or law enforcement officials associated with the investigation. That added to the challenge of finding enough people who could be impartial to hear the trial.

BOSTON, June 10 (Reuters) – Lawyers for accused Boston
mobster James “Whitey” Bulger on Monday sought to delay the
start of his murder trial, arguing they need time to investigate
whether or not police turned a blind eye to possible criminal
activity of a witness.

Bulger, 83, was scheduled to go on trial on Wednesday
charged with committing or ordering 19 murders while leading
Boston’s “Winter Hill” crime gang in the 1970s and 80s. He was
on the run for 16 years before being captured in a California
seaside town in June 2011, a saga that has engrossed Boston.

BOSTON, June 7 (Reuters) – A lawyer for accused Boston
gangster James “Whitey” Bulger said a newspaper column on Friday
by a journalist named as a potential witness in his trial for 19
murders was a “scathing attack” that could prejudice jurors.

Bulger’s defense this week took the unusual step of listing
journalists, including Boston Globe columnist Kevin Cullen and
reporter Shelly Murphy, on its list of 82 potential witnesses.