A man accused of killing a boater and then attempting to steal his identity was twice removed from the courtroom as testimony in his trial began Tuesday.

Michael Paul Rodgers, 38, faces a slew of charges in the 2016 death of James Bradley Gunther, 62, whose empty boat was found at Fort McRee 10 days before his body was found partially buried near Pensacola Naval Air Station in early April.

Rodgers was arrested in Louisiana after he allegedly used Gunther's credit cards and took his personal documents to a government office to try to gain identification with them.

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Attorneys raised concerns from the time Rodgers was arrested up until his trial date about his ability to conduct himself properly in court. Rodgers has been argumentative and disruptive in earlier court hearings, and at one hearing reportedly claimed he had a chip involuntarily implanted into his head.

The court found him competent, and jury selection began Monday. Though, within minutes of the court convening Tuesday morning for the first day of testimony, Judge Thomas Dannheisser ordered a break to allow Rodgers a chance to calm down. Rodgers had claimed he was a Muslim prophet, and said his defense counsel, Todd Early, was not doing an adequate job. When Rodgers returned to the courtroom soon after, he mumbled "Allahu akbar," but the trial continued with a warning from Dannheisser that if Rodgers made any further disruptive comments he would be removed.

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Prosecutor Bridgette Jensen delivered her opening statements, saying Gunther had been strangled to death, an act that would have taken several minutes of consistent force, which she said outlined premeditation. She said Rodgers stole a number of Gunther's belongings, including his bank cards, and used them across the Panhandle and in Louisiana before he was caught.

She said Gunther, a sailing enthusiast, had been at the start of his annual sailing trip from Gulf Shores, Alabama, to Port St. Joe when he was killed.

In his opening statement, Early urged the jury to consider the circumstances of the evidence, and he said he doesn't believe the state will be able to prove his client's guilt beyond any reasonable doubt.

The jury heard Tuesday from witnesses including Gunther's wife, son and daughter who said the victim was a hard-working man who had been taking that three-week sailing trip for the last decade. Even while on the boat, Gunther would communicate every day with his daughter, Melissa Shambley, who worked as his office assistant. It was when Gunther hadn't contacted Shambley in a couple of days that the family called law enforcement. Gunther's son, James Robert Gunther, found the body buried in sand April 15, 2016, while searching the water around where his father went missing.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Officer Matt Cushing testified that he found Gunther's boat near Fort McRee after he received a call about a missing boater. Nobody was on the boat when he found it.

Three witnesses who had also been boating near Fort McRee testified, saying they had seen an older white man on the boat several times in late March. It was during one of the witness' testimonies that Rodgers was removed from the court room once again. Rodgers attempted to object to something the witness said, claiming he wanted more information about the boat she saw, but Dannheisser had him removed immediately.

Rodgers' case is scheduled to continue Wednesday.