Jury selection in the trial of accused murderer Kirk M. Lankford has resumed.

The proceedings were placed on hold last week by the Hawaii Supreme Court after Lankford's lawyer filed papers protesting a prosecution effort to question two defense expert witnesses before the start of the trial.

The city then dropped plans for those interviews, allowing jury selection to resume.

Lankford is charged with murdering Japanese national Masumi Watanabe in April of last year. The victim's body was never recovered.

The trial is expected to begin next week and continue for a month.