THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. -- The attorney for a drifter charged with murder says the prosecutor will never be able to prove his client did it.

On Thursday trial began for the man known as Michael "Cowboy" Braae who is accused in the death of 44-year-old Lori Jones.

Jones, a single mother from Lacey, disappeared seven years ago during a rare night out. A few days later her body was found, and police say the trail leads right to Braae.

Braae is known as man who drifted from bar to bar singing country tunes and picking up women. But in court he's known as the suspect in the rape and murder of Lori Jones.

Jones' body was found under her apartment bed. Investigators said she'd been strangled and repeatedly stabbed with a screwdriver.

Her daughter Elisa, who was 11 at the time, was present when her mother's body was found.

"The assistant manager looked underneath the bed and she screamed 'she's under there!' Then we all kind of panicked and ran out," said Elisa Jones.

The last time anyone had seen Jone's alive was the night of July 6, 2001 at Bailey's, a bar. The bartenders say she left with Braae, who was a regular customer.

"You go around and this guy is well-known around here," said bartender Leslie Rhodes. "Silent but deadly."

Police claim Braae had gone on the run. They tracked him down in Idaho where a high-speed chase and gunfire ended with Braae jumping into the Snake river in an attempt to escape. He was easily captured.

Prosecutors found a fingerprint and DNA evidence at the crime scene. The evidence placed Braae at the scene.

But Braae's attorney Jim Shackleton says there's not enough evidence to convict him.

"They will not be able to prove that Lori Jones was brutally murdered by Michael Braae," he said.

The contention is that Braae may have been with Jones, but didn't kill her.

What the jury won't hear is that Braae was also tried for the attempted murder of a Yelm woman a few days after Jones' death. The jury in that case couldn't reach a verdict.

Braae is also being investigated in the deaths and disappearances of three other women in the Northwest.