WAUSAU – After calling just four witnesses to the stand on Thursday, the defense rested just before noon in the trial of Kristopher Torgerson, now in its ninth full day.
Togerson, 37, declined to testify on his own behalf. He is accused of killing 22-year-old Stephanie Low in October 2010 and burying her body in a wooded area in Forest County. Low remained a missing person until October 2013, when investigators announced they had enough evidence to convince them that Low had been killed. Torgerson was named a person of interest in the case early in the investigation, and in September 2014 led police to her remains.
Prosecutors called more than 40 witnesses to the stand, painstakingly laying out their case against Torgerson for the Eau Claire County jury. An out of county jury was chosen March 13 to hear the case due to excessive publicity in Marathon County surrounding Low’s death.
Court has adjourned for the day, and closing statements will be heard when the trial resumes at 8:30 a.m. Friday. The case could go to the jury as early as Friday afternoon.
