The trial of former soldier accused of murder will begin tomorrow after he entered a not guilty plea at the Central Criminal Court today.
Mr John Crerar (54) a former army sergeant from Woodside Park, Kildare town, is accused off the murder of Ms Phyllis Murphy on dates between December 22nd, 1979, and January 18th, 1980.
Ms Murphy (23) was abducted shortly before Christmas 1979. Her naked body was found partially hidden in pine forest at the bottom of the Wicklow Gap four weeks later. She had been strangled. Mr Crerar was charged in July 1999.
Gardaí had retained DNA samples taken from Ms Murphy's body and blood samples taken from some 300 men who were questioned at the time about her murder.
The trial is expected to last at least three weeks.
