FLORENCE — The murder trial of Alfred Shawn Johnson got under way this morning with jury selection.

Johnson, 42, is charged with murder in the beating death of Keith Barnett.

Keith Barnett was found unconscious in a ditch on Alabama 17 near the Tennessee state line July 29, 2000. He died Sept. 21, 2000, in a hospital without regaining consciousness.

Johnson and his brother, Shannon Ray Johnson, 43, were arrested in May 2011, almost 10 years after the 22-year-old Barnett was found.

Shannon Johnson, who was also charged with murder at the time of his arrest, pleaded guilty to manslaughter last year and agreed to testify against his brother.

Shannon Johnson received a 20-year sentence, the maximum sentence for manslaughter.

Courthouse officials expect the jury selection to take all day. Opening statements and testimony are expected to begin Tuesday morning in Circuit Judge Gil Self’s courtroom.