OTTUMWA, IOWA -- Jurors heard no testimony on Thursday in the First Degree Murder trial of Seth Techel.
Scheduling conflicts and the need to address some matters outside of the presence of the jury caused Judge Daniel Wilson to keep jurors at home.
The day off for jurors came in the third week of the trial.
The defense has been presenting its case over the past few days. Defense attorney Steven Gardner has been arguing that within hours of Lisa Techel's death, investigators had rushed to judge Seth Techel, without properly investigating the possibility that the real killer was the Techel's neighbor Brian Tate.
The state believes it has put on plenty of evidence that Seth Techel and only Seth Techel had motive and opportunity to shoot his pregnant wife in May of 2012.
Prosecutors have acknowledged that their case largely rests on circumstantial evidence.
The defense is expected to continue presenting its case Friday. The jury should begin deliberations sometime early next week.
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