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Source: Pioneer Press, St.迷你倉 Paul, Minn.Sept. 19--The disappearance of Kira Steger and subsequent murder charges against her husband made headlines for months. Hundreds volunteered to search for Steger's body in the dead of winter. When she was pulled from the Mississippi River in May, her family's worst fears were realized.Now, testimony in the trial of Jeffery Trevino, Steger's husband, begins Thursday morning. Trevino, 39, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree murder in the death of Steger, 30. Steger was last seen the evening of Feb. 21. Her body was found May 8.Twelve jurors and two alternates were chosen by the end of the day Wednesday. Ramsey County District Judge Leonardo Castro and attorneys in the case queried 47 prospective jurors one by one.The jurors selected -- eight men and six women -- include a restaurant worker, an electrician, a mechanical engineer, a Lutheran pastor, a health care consultant with a background in biomedical engineering, a shipping-receiving manager for a produce-supply company, a former software developer, a nanny who recently graduated from college, a retired Marine, a 3M chemical engineer, a retiree from the printing business and a young working mother. One alternate juror works for a cell-tower company. The other is a Roseville grandmother.After the jury is sworn in, the trial will begin with opening statements from prosecution and defense attorneys.Investigators have said they found significant amounts of blood throughout the couple's home in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood. Blood was also found in the trunk of Steger's car, which was abandoned at the Mall of America in Bloomington.Massive search efforts centered on Keller Lake in St. Paul until the focus shifted to the river.Many potential jurors talked of seeing media reports of the case, reinforcing defense concerns that the jury pool would be tainted. Two people who said they witnessed the search efforts at Keller Lake were excused. A woman who said she was "thinking of volunteering" in the search, but decided against it because of the snowy weather, was chosen as an alternate juror.Defense attorney John Conard raised the issue of the blood evidence with a number of the jurors, and some brought it up on their own when asked what details they remembered from media coverage.Conard asked what jurors would think if the allegations about the blood turned out to be "180 degrees different" from what had been presented. Jur自存倉rs were continually instructed to set aside whatever opinions they may have formed about the case and disregard any information other than what will be presented in court.Those who said they could not do that were dismissed.Conard also worried aloud that he would be seen as a "bully" if he aggressively cross-examined grieving relatives of the dead woman. Many jurors said they understood that is his job.Some prospective jurors were eliminated, at least in part, because of past experiences. One man had experienced having a 16-year-old friend murdered at a house where his future wife had also been going to spend the night; she changed her mind but might otherwise have been a victim herself. Another man said his grandmother's best friend was murdered by the friend's son.A 50-something woman who also did not make the cut began by sitting as instructed in the witness chair, but faced backward, staring at the wall. She said she published a book about "a goose that comes to land on a wise woman's lake," and mentioned she enjoys geocaching. "I like little dinosaurs that people leave sometimes."One juror, an immigrant from Africa, demonstrated her limited grasp of English when she continually asked the judge to repeat his questions. She was struck from the panel.Trevino and Steger were having problems in their marriage, according to the criminal complaint in the case. They had gone out for a "date night" Thursday evening, Feb. 21, at the Mall of America, where Steger co-managed a clothing store. Steger was scheduled to work the next day but never arrived.Trevino called police to report his wife missing Sunday, Feb. 24. She had left their rental home in the 500 block of East Iowa Avenue on Friday morning, Feb. 22, to run errands before work, he said.It was not unusual for her to go stay with friends for a few days at a time, Trevino told police.Prosecutors say Steger was unhappy in the marriage and wanted to end it. The criminal complaint said Steger was romantically involved with another man, and that they had exchanged "numerous text messages" on the last night she was seen alive.Trevino remains in the Ramsey County Jail on $1 million bail.The trial is expected to last 2 1/2 weeks.Emily Gurnon can be reached at 651-228-5522. Follow her at twitter.com/emilygurnon.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.) Visit the Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.) at .twincities.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉