The murder trial of Morris Brickle-Hicks began yesterday in Bismarck. He is accused of murdering a 40-year-old woman named Misty Coffelt.KXMB reports the trial came to order Monday at the Burleigh County Courthouse. opening statements began in the early afternoon, with seven witnesses taking the stand through the course of the day.

KXMB says Police "responded to reports of an unresponsive woman around 9am on April 14th, 2016 behind Runnings in South Bismarck." The defendant was arrested shortly after.

One witness painted a grisly picture of the murder scene: "She was laying on her side. Her face was beat in really bad. You could see parts of that skeleton coming through her face. There was blood by her head, and the pallet she was close to had blood running down the side of the pallet."

KX News says Ms. Coffelt's family was present throughout the day. The trial is scheduled to continue until Friday. If convicted, Morris Brickle Hicks faces life in prison.

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