Missouri man accused of killing his wife takes stand

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man accused of killing his wife and burying her body in a park testified that the couple had a troubled relationship and he was considering divorce before she died. Joseph Elledge is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife, 28-year-old Mengqi Ji, whom he reported missing in October 2019. Her remains were found in March in a park near Columbia, Missouri. He took the stand Tuesday after the prosecution rested its case on Monday. The prosecution’s case focused largely on audio tapes, text messages and a journal Elledge kept about their relationship. Ji moved to Missouri from China to study at the University of Missouri and stayed after marrying Elledge in 2017.