Towson, MD: Deliberation Continues In Tetso Murder Trial

Reporting
Mike Hellgren TOWSON, Md (WJZ) ―

Tracy Tetso's body has not been found. But her husband, Dennis Tetso, is charged for her murder.


A jury still can't agree on a verdict in the trial of a Baltimore County man accused of killing his wife. Dennis Tetso faces murder charges even though his wife's body was never found. Mike Hellgren has more.

The judge sent the jurors after just a few hours of deliberation. They had a few questions for him before they left, including wanting to know the definition of reasonable doubt.

Jurors started deliberating Dennis Tetso's fate around 2 p.m. Tuesday, deciding whether he flew into a rage at his wife, Tracey, who was having an affair, and murdered her in March 2005.

"[The stakes are] almost as high as you can get. It's not a death penalty case, but it's as high as you can get other than that," said Tetso's attorney, David Irwin.

While Tracey's body was never found, prosecutors recovered her car and a video of it after her murder. They say Dennis was the man driving and claim he was the only person with the key fob used to lock it, proving he killed her.

The lead prosecutor told jurors, "In real life, people don't vanish. Someone makes them disappear."

"I think it comes down to the video but I disagree with the prosecution, of course. I think they have to make a positive identification of my client coming out of that car. It's the crux of the case," Irwin said.

Prosecutors also argue Dennis Tetso had the means to get rid of his wife's body; he worked in the concrete industry.

"Don't reward him with an acquittal for so successfully disposing of her body," he said.

Tetso's defense attorney tried to raise doubt about whether another lover killed her, playing a voicemail from the man Tracey was seeing on the side, where he alludes to another man.

"What are you, with your husband or something, with your boyfriend? Tell me what the [expletive] is going on," he said.

"Other leads should have been followed more vigorously," Irwin said.

The defense also argued Tracey may not be dead, but the lead prosecutor says the idea of her simply walking away from her life is ludicrous.

Dennis Tetso's fiancee was in court again Tuesday to show her support of him.

Deliberations will continue Wednesday morning.

This is the first time in Baltimore County where a defendant has been tried with murder even though a body was never found.