The murder trial for a man accused in the death of a Vulcan senior in 2012 got underway in Lethbridge on Monday.
Tim Engel, 35, is charged with first-degree murder and indignity to a human body.
In January 2012, the family of 77-year-old Otto “Bunty” Loose contacted police, saying they hadn’t seen or heard from him.
A subsequent investigation led police to believe that Loose had been kidnapped from his home on January 8.
They say several suspicious activities were reported involving Loose’s bank accounts in Nanton and Claresholm in the days following his disappearance.
His body was found in a wooded area several days later and an autopsy revealed that he’d been murdered.
On Monday, the trial got underway with his lawyer entering a not guilty plea and then a jury was selected.
"It's the first step in the process as you can appreciate, we actually have been in court in relation to this matter for two weeks preceding the jury discussing the evidence that will be admitted in this case and we're prepared to proceed with our first witness tomorrow morning," said Crown prosecutor, Dave Labrenz.
Opening statements will be delivered on Tuesday and the trial is expected to take about a month.
