The trial of a 64-year-old man accused of killing a 79-year-old man six years will continue this week in Lubbock's 137th District Court.

On Wednesday, Lewis Young pleaded not guilty to murder in connection with the Sept. 6, 2016 death of Conrado Zarate. If convicted Young faces five years to life in prison.

Jurors were selected last Monday, but they didn't being hearing opening statements and testimony until Wednesday as attorneys spent Tuesday in hearings outside the presence of jurors.

Prosecutor Nicole Griffin told jurors in her opening statement that there was overwhelming evidence showing Young killed Zarate with a pair of tree loppers.

Young's attorney, Audie Reese, reserved his opening statement for when he presents his case.

Young has been held at the Lubbock County Detention Center since his March 20, 2017 arrest in connection with the murder investigation that began when police responded to a check welfare call about 8:20 p.m. at Zarate's residence in the 2100 block of Avenue P and found the home unsecured.

Officers found Zarate dead inside a bedroom and suspected foul play.

At the scene, investigators found propped against a couch in the living room, a pair of bloody tree-trimming shears they believe were used to attack Zarate.

“The loppers shared the same patterns located on (Zarate), making it the likely weapon used to assault (Zarate),” an investigator states in an arrest warrant.

Jurors saw crime scene photos that showed a blood spatter all over the living room.

"This was a very violent assault that resulted in blood being deposited on the bed, floor, the ceiling, three walls and several items in that room," said Lubbock police detective Mike McGowan.

Lubbock police arrested Young in the 2200 block of Avenue O after, the warrant states, a forensic examination of the shears showed it contained Young’s DNA.

During an interview with officers, Young initially denied any involvement in Zarate’s killing. However, he began admitting to the crime after investigators confronted him with the DNA evidence reportedly found on the trimming shears, the warrant states.

Young reportedly told detectives he was intoxicated and had been smoking crack cocaine the night of the killing and was approached by a woman who asked him if he could collect the money Zarate owed her.

Young said Zarate denied owing the woman any money, prompting Young to attack him with the shears. He said they struggled and he picked up the shears and struck Zarate over the head with them, the warrant states.