Jury selection begins Friday in the court martial of a soldier accused of masterminding the thrill killings of three Afghan civilians last year.

Staff Sgt. Calvin Gibbs, of Billings, Mont., is one of five soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord charged in the deaths of the three Afghan men. Some soldiers in the unit said it was his idea to slaughter civilians and stage the deaths to make them appear to have been combatants.

The charges against Gibbs include three counts of murder, conspiracy to commit premeditated murder and covering up the killings. They also include threatening and assaulting another soldier as part of the effort to cover up the alleged crimes.

Prosecutors said Gibbs led others in assaulting a soldier who reported drug use in the unit, and that he threatened that same soldier with fingers severed from the bodies of dead Afghans.

Three other soldiers have been found guilty of related charges. Two are expected to testify against Gibbs, including Jeremy Morlock, whose videotaped confession was leaked last year.

Gibbs maintains that all of the killings were legitimate.

If Gibbs is convicted, he faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

KIRO 7 Eyewitness News will have a crew on base when the trial begins at 9 a.m.

Opening statements are expected Monday.