A Co Louth man has gone on trial in the Central Criminal Court for the murder of a German tourist whose body was found in dense undergrowth near Drogheda in October 2001.
Michael Murphy, of Rathmullen Park, Donore Road in Drogheda, denies the murder of Bettina Poeschel from Munich.
The 28-year-old journalist was on the final day of a week-long holiday in September 2001 when she disappeared en route to Newgrange in Co Meath.
A month later her badly decomposed body was found lying face down and partially clothed in dense undergrowth on the Drogheda to Donore road.
Decomposition prevented a conclusive cause of death. It is thought the most likely cause was manual strangulation.
Mr Murphy, who was working on the Drogheda bypass at the time, denies Ms Poeschel's murder.
The prosecution claims she was killed sometime between 11am and 1pm on 25 September.
Various personal items including her bag purse and shoes were found in the area, and today the jury heard details of circumstantial evidence which the prosecution says links the defendant to the crime.
The case, which is being attended by Ms Poeschel's family, is expected to last a number of weeks.
