Trial starts for man accused of dismembering, burning woman's body

The trial for a man charged with murdering a Texas Woman's University student in 2016 began on Monday.

Prosecutors say Charles Dean Bryant, 31, met Jacqueline Vandagriff, 24, in a Denton bar then killed her and set her dismembered body on fire in a wooded area in Grapevine.

The jury heard different descriptions of what happened from prosecutors and defense attorneys.

The state alleges Bryant took Vandagriff's dismembered body from the Haslet area to a park at Grapevine Lake and set her body on fire.

“Tragically an evil, destructive figure stepped in front of her on that path and ended all her hopes and dreams and ultimately her life,” said prosecutor Lucas Allan.

The defense claimed Vandagriff died accidentally while they were having sex and Bryant tried to dispose of the body instead of calling police.

"He went to Walmart at 4 a.m. and bought a shovel and goes back to his house where he had left Jackie and tried to dig a hole but the earth was too hard,” said attorney Glynis McGinty.

Prosecutors have indicated the jury at some point will view several surveillance videos that show Vandagriff and Bryant together and she is not with him but he's seeing buying a shovel and later buying gasoline in a plastic container.

Testimony resumes in the trial on Tuesday.