Police: Body found is Kira Trevino

Kira and Jeffery Trevino
Kira Trevino is shown in a photo with her husband Jeffery, displayed by St. Paul police on Friday, March 1, 2013, in St. Paul, Minn. The body of Kira Trevino, who has been missing since February, was found Wednesday May 8, 2013 in the Mississippi River in downtown St. Paul. Jeffrey Trevino is charged with second-degree murder in her death.
Jim Mone/AP

Police have confirmed the body pulled from the Mississippi River near downtown St. Paul was that of Kira Trevino, 30.

St. Paul police say Trevino's body was found by a member of the public on Wednesday in the area of Upper Landing.

St. Paul police senior commander Brian Coyle said it is a "day of relief" for investigators trying to find answers for Trevino's family, but locating the body was only a step in the effort to get justice for Trevino.

"I just want to say that this is not a day to celebrate. This is a day when Kira's loved ones, her family and those who care about her can finally know where Kira is," Coyle said.

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Jeffrey Dale Trevino
Jeffrey Dale Trevino is charged with the murder of his wife Kira Trevino, whose body was found in the Mississippi River on Wednesday May 8, 2013.
Photo courtesy Ramsey County Attorney

Trevino's husband, Jeffery Trevino, 39, has been charged with second-degree murder. He has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial at the end of the month.

Trevino had been missing since late February. She was last seen leaving work.

Her car was discovered in a parking lot at the Mall of America. Police found blood in the car and on its trunk liner, which was discovered nearby.

At that time, police said the amount of blood found in her St. Paul home indicated she was likely deceased.

Friends and family of Trevino, whose maiden name is Steger, had organized searches of several areas in the Twin Cities over the past few months in hopes of finding her body.

A statement today from Choi's office read, "We are grateful that the body of Kira Steger has been recovered, for the sake of her family and all those that loved her. The grief, pain and sorrow that this case has caused Kira's family has weighed heavily on my mind. I also want to thank the countless volunteers, many who never knew Kira, who took action to help find her body over the past few months."

Written with information previously reported by MPR News' Curtis Gilbert.