25 Years Later: Man Accused of 1988 West Roxbury Murder Stands Trial

New evidence has allowed the state to prosecute a man facing a murder charge stemming from the discovery of Janet Phinney's body in West Roxbury in 1988.

The trail of Michael Coker, 50, began Thursday, coming 25 years to the day after the discovery of the body of Janet Phinney, who was buried under a pile of leaves in the Grove neighborhood, according to the Boston Herald.

The Herald reported Coker stalked ex-girlfriend Phinney, who was 20 at the time she went missing. A neighbor came upon her body in the area’s woods on March 21, 1988.

The murder was a mystery until 2011, when Coker was arrested due to new DNA evidence taken from Phinney’s body that served as a match to Coker, according to the Herald.

Reasonable doubt has piled up over time, which is being tried in Suffolk Superior Court, according to the story. Two detectives originally working the case have died.