Murder charges for husband in MN wife's disappearance
A St. Paul man is being held on $1 million bail after being charged with second-degree murder in the disappearance of his wife.
Prosecutors allege Jeffrey Trevino, 39, killed Kira Trevino last week and then tried to cover up the crime.
Police haven't found Kira Trevino's body. But investigators believe she's dead based on the large amount of blood found in the couple's house.
"When you don't have a body, that certainly is a challenge for the prosecution," Ramsery County Attorney John Choi said. "However, it is possible to obtain a conviction, and we wouldn't be moving forward today unless we believed that we could prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt based upon all of the facts that we have gathered though our investigation."
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Kira Trevino was last seen leaving work at 6 p.m. on Thursday. The criminal complaint alleges Jeffrey Trevino killed her either that night or early the next morning.
Her car was discovered in a parking lot at the Mall of America on Monday. Police found blood in the car and on its trunk liner, which was discovered nearby.
That same day, police searched the couple's home and found blood in the master bedroom, living room, hallway, bathroom and basement. They also found "evidence of extensive cleanup efforts," including a carpet cleaning machine with blood on it.
"All of [Jeffrey Trevino's] schemes and his efforts to cover up this crime have been foiled by a lot of hard work by the investigators involved in this case," Choi said.
The couple had been having "marital problems," and had discussed separating, according to the criminal complaint.
Prosecutors sought $500,000 in bail for Trevino. A judge set it at twice that much.
Trevino faces two counts of second-degree murder. His next court appearance is set for March 14.
Police are asking for the public's help in locating Kira Trevino's body. She was last seen at the Mall of America on the night of Thursday, Feb. 21. St. Paul police Sgt. Paul Paulos said she could be anywhere within at least a 100-mile radius of the Twin Cities.
"We don't want to just say the Twin City-area. We don't know. She's missing. We need to find her," Paulos said.
"Right now, we have a puzzle that's coming together quite good, but we need to complete it."
Police also want information about Jeffrey Trevino's activities on the night of Feb. 21 and the following morning. They released photos of Kira Trevino's white 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt, license plate number XCC-572. Police are asking anyone who saw the car during that time period to call or text 651-560-3277.
