The trial of Jay Christopher Lingman, accused of killing Auckland man Denver Chance, began in the High Court on Wednesday morning.
Lingman has pleaded guilty to one charge of possessing cocaine for supply, one of possessing MDMA for supply, and another of possessing a Class C drug for sale.
But he denies the charge of murder.
Chance went missing in February 2019. His disappearance sparked a two-week search by police, who appealed to the public for sightings of the 43-year-old and the red Nissan Skyline he had been driving.
It wasn’t until a search warrant was executed at a property in the Auckland suburb of Kingseat that Chance’s body was discovered, and Lingman was arrested by police outside a Mt Eden bar.
The Crown and Defence will make their opening statements later on Wednesday.
The trial is expected to last three weeks before a jury of eight men and four women.
