Prosecutors in Timothy Parlin's capital murder trial revealed gruesome details about the death of an elderly Austin couple that Parlin is accused of killing in December 2014.

In Tuesday's opening statements, prosecutors said Parlin or co-defendant Shawn Gant-Benalcazar broke into a Central Austin home in December 2014 to steal jewelry. The homeowners, Billie and Sidney Shelton, were beaten in the head and strangled, prosecutors said. Billie Shelton, 83, was stabbed several times in the face, including the eye.

Parlin is accused of murder in the Shelton killings and police also say he was involved in the burglary that led to the slaying of Austin music teacher Kathy Blair.

He is charged with capital murder-serial, capital murder-multiple and three counts of capital murder in commission of a burglary.

Parlin's lawyers say he did not know Gant-Benalcazar planned to kill anyone when he drove him to the homes. Gant-Benalcazar, 33, is charged with capital murder for Blair's death.

Earlier: A capital murder trial starts Tuesday for an Austin man who police have linked to a pair of fatal home burglaries in late 2014.

Timothy Parlin, 52, is on trial for his alleged role in the stabbing deaths of music teacher Kathy Blair as well as elderly couple Billie and Sidney Shelton. He faces an automatic life sentence, if convicted.

Parlin is the second defendant to be tried in connection with Blair's killing. The April trial of an associate, Shawn Gant-Benalcazar, ended when a single juror refused to join the others and find him guilty. The judge declared a mistrial. Another trial is scheduled for October.

Gant-Benalcazar, 33, testified that Parlin told him that he killed Blair. But Parlin gave police a different story, saying that he drove the two of them to Blair's home and that Gant-Benalcazar killed her.

Austin police linked Parlin to Blair through work he did on her home months before her death. Parlin's ties to the Sheltons comes through his wife, who performed in-home massages on the couple, police say.