Roommate to stand trial for 1999 Hillsboro murder.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- In July 1999, Tony Kennedy and Kenneth Gipson were roommates in Hillsboro. But Kennedy, 22, was reported missing, and his car was later found empty in a parking lot near where he lived.

The investigation into his disappearance went cold. But in 2018, Hillsboro detectives looked into the case again and presented their evidence to a grand jury in Washington County. That led to an indictment of Gipson for first-degree murder.

It wasn't until three years later when Gipson was arrested at his home in Del Rio, Tennessee. He was extradited to Oregon and arraigned for Kennedy's death in June 2021.

Now, another three years have passed. But the murder trial for Kenneth Gipson begins Tuesday in a Washington County courtroom.

Details of the case have remained murky. It's not clear at this time why Hillsboro police once again looked into the case nor how they connected Gipson to his roommate's disappearance. It's also not clear at this time whether Kennedy's body was ever found.

Gipson, 66, is being held in the Washington County Jail on 1st- and 2nd-degree murder. At the time of Kennedy's disappearance, Gipson would have been 41.

The trial is expected to begin Tuesday morning in Judge Oscar Garcia's courtroom with selection for a 12-member jury.