A trial got underway Monday for a Coaldale man accused of killing a Marine in 2014, when the defendant was just 16 years old.

Stanley Kralik, now 18, faces first degree murder charges in connection with the death of 24-year-old Corey Samuels, a U.S. Marine.

Prosecutors say that in January of 2014, Kralik and Oliver Trizarri, now 22, of Reading, lured Samuels to a wooded area near Coaldale, then beat and choked him to death.

Trizarri has since pleaded guilty in connection with the case. Kralik elected to go to trial on the charges.

On Monday, the trial got underway in Schuylkill County Court. Jurors heard opening statements from both sides and testimony from prosecution witnesses.

Samuels' mother could be seen tearing up during testimony. His sister and girlfriend both testified Monday.

Two people close to Kralik, a former classmate and a friend, both testified that he told them that he had killed someone in the weeks after the attack.

A state trooper testified that Kralik changed his story three times during an interview with police.

A forensic anthropologist described how an autopsy revealed that Samuels' suffered a shattered jaw, a broken nose, and a knife wound to the back of the head.

Kralik's trial will continue Tuesday morning. For a full report, check Tuesday's edition of the Times News.