Trevino won't testify in trial over wife's death

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- The husband of a St. Paul woman whose body was found in the Mississippi River more than two months after she disappeared decided not to take the witness stand at his murder trial as the defense rested Monday without calling any witnesses.

Jeffery Trevino, 39, is on trial in Ramsey County on two counts of second-degree murder in the death of his wife, 30-year-old Kira Steger. Steger was last seen alive Feb. 21. Her body was recovered from the river on May 8.

Both the prosecution and defense rested their cases in the morning after Trevino decided not to testify in his own behalf.

On Monday, prosecutors tried to dismantle defense attorney John Conard's theory that Steger's marijuana use could have contributed to her death. A bag of marijuana was found in Steger's purse in her abandoned car in the Mall of America parking ramp.

Retired St. Paul police Sgt. John Wright testified the marijuana's value was ``minimal'' and was worth about $20.