DURANT - Twelve jurors and three alternates have been picked to serve on a grand jury to investigate an unsolved arson death and the case against a late county commissioner accused of using county equipment on private property.

Joe Taylor, a former Bryan County District Judge and a retired judge from the state Court of Civil Appeals, is the presiding judge for the grand jury.

Jurors sworn in Monday afternoon were: Troy Holland, Becky Walls, Pamela Williams, Jeannie Glaze, Scott Ducote, Justin Stubblefield, Vicky McKinney, Kathleen Ingram, Troy Pierce, Larry Lewellen, Billy Lewis and Chester Prater. Alternates are Carolyn Barnett, Tamra Wylie and Ernest Buck.

Pierce was appointed foreman of the jury. Jurors were read and given a set of instructions for what they are supposed to do.

Payne County District Attorney Rob Hudson is the district attorney for the grand jury.

After the jury was picked Monday, jurors toured both of the county jails. By state statute, a grand jury is required to investigate county jails.

The grand jury will be probing the death of Shawn Beaty, whose remains were found in January 2005 after a house fire on Five Doe Road. Arson was ruled the cause of the blaze and the crime has not been solved.

Jurors also will be investigating the investigation into late Bryan County District No. 3 Commissioner John Spence, who had been ordered to resign or face criminal charges for using county equipment on private property. Authorities said Spence committed suicide.

The jury can also investigate anything else brought to its attention. If nine of the 12 jurors agree there is enough evidence for an indictment, the case proceeds through the court process.

The grand jury was called after a successful petition drive by James Neill.

The jury is expected to meet again today and will be excused until October.