A jury has been selected in the case of a Missouri mother accused of taking part in a MySpace hoax that prosecutors say led to a 13-year-old girl’s suicide.

Opening statements are to begin in Los Angeles later Wednesday. Lori Drew is accused of helping to create a false-identity account on the social networking site and harassing her young neighbor with cruel messages.

The girl hanged herself in 2006 after allegedly receiving a message saying the world would be better off without her.

The 49-year-old Drew has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and accessing computers without authorization.

The case is being prosecuted in Los Angeles because MySpace computer servers are based in the area.