The murder trial for Sam Parker, an ex-cop accused of killing his wife, begins this week and is expected to last three weeks — with more than 100 witnesses being called to the stand, Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson said.

“Since I have been in office, obviously it would be the No. 1 one (case) in terms of the man-hours expended during the investigation phase,” Wilson said.

“The investigation has never stopped,” he said.

Floyd County District Attorney Leigh Patterson took over prosecution of the case after the local district attorney removed himself because of a possible conflict of interest.

Parker’s trial begins today in Walker County Superior Court before Judge Jon “Bo” Wood. A jury was picked last week in Bartow County.

The prosecution has leased the former Walker County Messenger building at 120 E. Patton St. in downtown LaFayette. Wilson said Patterson needed to set up headquarters in the building because she, her staff and investigators are from out of town.

Parker was charged in February 2008 with murdering his wife, Theresa Parker, a dispatcher with Walker County 911 who has been missing since the night of March 21, 2007.

Her body has not been found.

Sam Parker was a sergeant with the LaFayette Police Department when she disappeared.

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