VALPARAISO | Jury selection is to begin this morning in the murder trial involving South Haven resident Mark Easter, who is accused of beating to death a 15-year-old neighbor boy June 8, 2007.

Police have said Easter was upset because he believed Christopher Janus was "hitting on" his girlfriend at the time, Marissa Wilken.

Easter reportedly chased Janus down the street in South Haven, beat him and repeatedly punched him in the face, even after the boy was unconscious.

Easter, who is now 21, faces between 45 and 60 years behind bars if convicted on the murder charge.

He is represented this week by Merrillville defense attorney Herbert Shaps in the case before Porter Superior Judge Roger Bradford.

A 12-person jury will be selected to hear the case.

Easter appeared in Bradford's court in May seeking bond, but the judge denied the request.

Wilken told the court during the hearing that Easter burst into his bedroom on the evening in question and ordered Janus and others to leave.

While she said she did not witness the alleged beating, Wilken said Easter seemed upset when she left.

Wilken, who still lived at Easter's house at the time of the hearing and visited him weekly at the jail, told the court she saw Janus drink beer on the night in question and then fall face first into the street from his bicycle.

Just a short time before, Porter County Coroner Vicki Deppe told the court Janus died from blunt force trauma to his head, face and trunk.