Kansas City, Mo. ? The first steps have begun for selecting a jury to hear the trial of a Kansas woman accused of strangling a pregnant woman and cutting her baby from her womb.

About 200 prospective jurors have been called to the federal courthouse in Kansas City to fill out questionnaires concerning the case of Lisa Montgomery, of Melvern, Kan., who is facing the death penalty, Don Ledford, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office, said Thursday. Her trial is scheduled for April 30.

Montgomery is accused of strangling Bobbie Jo Stinnett, 23, who was eight months pregnant with her first child, on Dec. 16, 2004, and cutting the baby from her womb. Prosecutors have said Montgomery told people the child was hers before she was arrested a day later in Melvern.

The child, Victoria Jo, was returned safely to her father, Zeb.

A total of 450 people will fill out the questionnaire before the trial. They are asked such things as what they know about the case and their feelings about the death penalty.

Ledford said the questionnaires are part of routine preparation, except that more jurors are being called because the Montgomery case received extensive media coverage.