A soldier accused of murdering a fellow Army Ranger who also was his roommate went to trial today. The case is expected to touch on how combat affected both men psychologically. 

Specialist Michael McQueen, pictured here, died of a single gunshot to the right temple in September 2006, in the Gaithersburg apartment he began sharing with Sergeant Gary Smith just 20 days earlier. 

Smith threw the revolver into a nearby lake before calling 911. He was covered in McQueen's blood and had gunshot residue on his hands when he was arrested. 

In opening statements today, Smith's attorney said McQueen committed suicide and that Smith tried to cover up the circumstances of the death by removing evidence from the scene. 

But prosecutors accuse Smith of lying to police to cover up the crime. 

Smith could get life without parole if convicted of first-degree murder. 

Both men had been in a U.S. Army Ranger intelligence unit and met at Fort Benning in Georgia.

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