Trial begins in murder of aspiring Brooklyn dancer Laura Garza

(CBS/AP) GOSHEN, N.Y - Jury selection is set to begin Monday in Orange County in the murder trial of Michael Mele, a convicted sex offender accused of murdering aspiring dancer Laura Garza.

PICTURES: Missing dancer Laura Garza's suspected killer on trial

Garza's body was found in Pennsylvania more than a year after she went missing in New York.

Garza, a Texas native, met Mele at a Manhattan nightclub in December 2008 and was reported missing after being seen leaving with him. Her body was found in April 2010 near Scranton, Pa.

The victim had moved to Brooklyn from McAllen, Texas, five months before her disappearance.

Mele has several sex-offense convictions in New York, most involving lewd conduct in front of women or girls.

Mele has pleaded not guilty to the 25-year-old's murder.

Complete coverage of the Laura Garza murder trial on Crimesider