Jury selection began Monday for the highly anticipated Bandido murder trial, but the initial stages were more about organizing potential jurors than choosing them.

The first of 2,000 possible jurors — the largest jury pool summoned in recent London history — were at the Middlesex courthouse, to be divided into smaller lots and ordered to return next week.

Superior Court Justice Thomas Heeney told the morning pool the process is “is a very enormous undertaking.” The trial is expected to last four to six months. A group of about 200 potential jurors were summoned Monday morning.

Another 200 were called for the afternoon. Each group is divided into lots of 10. Most of the morning group, once divided into sub-groups of 10, was told to return March 3 when 125 potential jurors will be screened.

The rest were told to return March 4. The same process will continue until Friday. Six men are charged with eight counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of eight men with ties to the Bandido motorcycle club in April 2006.

The men’s bodies were found in vehicles parked haphazardly on a rural Elgin County road, southwest of London, on April 8, 2006. Wayne Kellestine, 59, and Frank Mather, 35, both of Dutton-Dunwich; Brett Gardiner, 24, of no fixed address; Michael Sandham, 39, Marcelo Aravena, 32, and Dwight Mushey, 41, all of Winnipeg, each face eight counts of first- degree murder in the deaths of the eight men believed to be part of the Bandidos.

All six accused appeared in another courtroom Monday, away from the jury panel. An audio-video link was in place so the panel could see the accused in the prisoners’ box and the accused could see them from their courtroom. Mather was there only briefly.

His lawyer, Robert Lockhart, told Heeney that Mather — who appeared pale — was feeling unwell and asked he be excused for the day. None of the potential jurors’ names was read in court, only their juror numbers and occupations.

Heeney noted all the panel members had received questionnaires to be returned. He said he wouldn’t deal with any reasons to be excused from the process — such as financial hardship — until next week. “I ask you to be patient,” he said.

One defence lawyer, Donald Crawford of London, representing Sandham, was pleased at how smoothly the morning session went. “My client is nervous, as I am,” he said. “Things are finally starting.

The court staff has done a good job at organizing the panels.” Jane Sims is The Free Press justice reporter.