SAN DIEGO -- Six men, six women and six alternates were sworn in Tuesday to hear the murder trial of Richard Tuite, a transient and diagnosed schizophrenic accused of killing a 12-year-old Escondido girl in 1998.

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Among the jurors chosen were an Internal Revenue Service agent, an environmental planner, an English teacher, a juvenile hall guard and a "combat flier" whose son works as a correctional officer.

Tuite faces 27 years to life in prison if convicted of stabbing seventh- grader Stephanie Crowe nine times in her home the night of Jan. 20, 1998.

Opening statements are set for next Tuesday in a trial that could last four months.

Judge Frederic Link will pretrial motion arguments this afternoon.

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On Friday, Link ruled that fantasy writings by Stephanie's older brother, Michael, and his statements to police that he didn't like his sister can be introduced by the defense at Tuite's trial.

Michael and friends, Joshua Treadway and Aaron Houser, initially were charged with the girl's murder. But the allegations were dismissed when her blood was found on a filthy red sweatshirt Tuite was wearing the night Stephanie was killed.

After lengthy police interrogations, Michael Crowe admitted to the killing and Treadway admitted involvement. But a judge threw out most of the statements, saying they were coerced.

Defense attorney Brad Patton said he will present evidence that Michael Crowe wrote a story -- put into final form five weeks before the murder -- describing a brother killing his sister.

The Crowe family filed a federal lawsuit against the county and others, claiming their civil rights were violated in the days after their daughter's murder.

Tuite, 34, slipped his handcuffs Feb. 2 during a break in the jury selection process and walked out the front door of the downtown courthouse. He was free for 3 1/2 hours before being recaptured in Clairemont after getting off the bus.

A 75-page report the sheriff's department produced on the investigation into Tuite's escape was turned over to the attorneys and the judge Monday.

Link said he would give an instruction to the jury about a form of "flight" that could, if proven, point to a "consciousness of guilt" on the defendant's part.