Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Friday, July 18, 2008

Man tells jury he can't remember killing wife

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A man on trial for the death of his wife told a jury he never planned to murder anyone except himself when she was fatally stabbed in their Fitchburg apartment.

Twenty-eight-year-old Julio Marin-Garcia said through tears Thursday that he loved 23-year-old Yuliana Hernandez-Hernandez and never thought about killing her. The defense contends he should be convicted on a lesser charge of second-degree murder instead of first-degree intentional homicide.

He said he felt angry, confused and betrayed to learn she was having an affair, and he was at the home when his wife came in last Oct. 17 with the other man, who then fled.

A digital voice recorder in his pocket picked up the sounds of the slaying. It was played for the jury earlier in the trial.

Marin-Garcia said he did not remember stabbing his wife and cutting her throat, nor cutting his own throat, wrist and stabbing himself.

Closing arguments were scheduled today in Dane County Circuit Court.

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