The trial for the man accused in the kidnapping and killing of 18-year-old Zoe Hastings began Thursday in Dallas.
Hastings was kidnapped in October of 2015 while returning a Redbox movie outside a Lake Highlands Walgreens on her way to church.
She was later found fatally stabbed next to her family's van, which crashed into a nearby creek bed. Police believe her throat was cut and she was found in a state of partial dress.
Antonio Cochran could face life in prison if he is found guilty in the teenager's death.
Much of Thursday's proceedings were dedicated to establishing a timeline and getting items placed into evidence.
In the courtroom, there is picture of Hastings directly under the judge's bench in the sight line of the jury.
The jury consists of eight women and four men.
Testimony started with the teenager's mother, Cheryl Hastings, who told the jury about the night her daughter disappeared. She said family members used the Zoe's laptop and "Find My Phone" technology to find the location of the missing teenager. When she and her husband arrived at that location they were met by police and instantly knew that something was not right.
Officers and firefighters who first arrived on scene also testified, including the firefighter who found the knife that is believed to be the murder weapon.
The jury was shown several crime scene pictures, causing a reaction from at least one juror upon seeing a close-up of the knife wounds on Zoe Hastings' neck.
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Family members seemed calm in the courtroom while listening to the details of the discoveries.
In the coming days, expert witnesses are expected to testify in the trial, including those who focus on DNA evidence.
