The trial of an Oxford woman accused of fatally shooting her boyfriend in June 2022 began Tuesday at the Lafayette County Courthouse.

Oxford police responded to a call just after midnight on June 8 at the home of Alexandria Marie Griste, located on South Lamar Boulevard. They found 29-year-old Cory Lyles dead in the driveway from a gunshot wound.

Griste, 31, was arrested on June 8 and charged with first-degree murder.

Following jury selection, the trial commenced around 3 p.m. on Tuesday with opening statements from District Attorney Ben Creekmore, Assistant District Attorney Mary Ann Connell, and defense attorney Steve Farese.

Prosecutors told the jury they would present evidence that Griste and Lyles had been dating for about a year and were living together. They described the relationship as troubled, noting that the couple had been seen arguing at a softball game the day before the shooting. However, prosecutors emphasized that Griste did not report feeling unsafe to the police. Instead, they allege, she shot Lyles when he returned home after picking up food. Several shots were fired, but only one struck Lyles in the chest, killing him at the scene.

The prosecution plans to show evidence of text messages exchanged between Lyles and Griste regarding what food he should bring home for her and her two young children.

In his opening remarks, defense attorney Farese argued that the evidence would demonstrate that Griste acted in self-defense. He claimed Griste was fearful of Lyles, alleging that he had injured her arm days earlier and punched holes in the walls during their arguments. Farese explained that the missed shots were warning shots, but Lyles continued advancing toward Griste, who retreated into the house before firing the fatal shot.

Following opening arguments, the state called Officer Paul Sheppard, the first officer to arrive at the scene, to testify. Sheppard said that Griste met him at his car, urged him to hurry, and directed him to Lyles’ location, asking him to perform CPR. However, Sheppard informed her that Lyles was already dead.

The court then played video footage from Sheppard’s body camera. While the video was only visible to the jury, the audio could be heard throughout the courtroom. In the recording, Griste is heard crying and pointing out where the gun was, which was later found on top of the refrigerator. She is heard saying that she intended to shoot Lyles but didn’t mean to kill him, adding that she thought “she’d be the one.” She is heard telling her two crying children that their lives were worth it.

Sgt. Devin Martin, the second officer to arrive, also testified. The jury watched video footage from his body camera as well. Griste told him she was “scared,” showed him where she had shot Lyles, and freely provided other information. However, Martin noted that her demeanor changed during a phone call with her mother. While initially crying and hysterical, he said Griste became emotionless while on the call.

During cross-examination, Farese suggested that Griste might have concealed her emotions from her mother because she wasn’t ready to tell her what had happened.

The trial continues Wednesday morning.