Opening statements were heard on Monday in a case where a woman was found dead on some railroad tracks near Ladysmith 32-years-ago.

65-year-old Roy Beaulieu is accused of murdering Laura Bruce in 1976.

He's charged with second degree murder in Rusk County.

Prosecutors filed the charges after Bruce’s son asked for the case to be looked at again, nearly 30 years later.

Investigators exhumed Bruce’s body, and a forensics expert ruled she had been strangled.

Beaulieu told investigators he and Bruce were going to have sex, when he tried standing up, slipped, and hit Bruce in the rib, chin, and neck area with his leg and forearm.

District Attorney Kathleen Pakes says, "Dr. Steer will tell you Mrs. Bruce's death was a homicide, meaning at the hands of a person. Specifically that she had died from compression strangulation. He will tell you that he overturned the original death certificate."

Defense Attorney Robert Ferg says, "At another time he answered them, because he was afraid they were going to blame him for Laura Bruce's death. In the end he told the officers, telling you the truth didn't do me any good anyhow. That's why we're here today because Roy telling the truth didn't do him any good anyhow."

The attorneys also heard testimony from seven different witnesses today.

...And listened to a tape recording of an interview with the police officer who interviewed Beaulieu right after Bruce’s death.

The trial continues Tuesday at 9a.m.

It's expected to last all week.