Accused Surrey wife-killer's trial begins

Crown lawyer Dennis Murray made the claim during his opening statement at the trial of Mukhtiar Panghali, charged with second-degree murder in the death of Manjit Panghali.

The woman's burned body was found on a beach in Delta five days after she had been reported missing.

Panghali has also been charged with interference with a dead body in connection with his wife's remains.

The woman, a 30-year-old elementary school teacher, was four months pregnant when she died.

The accused had told police his wife had gone to a prenatal yoga class and disappeared.

The Crown will introduce cellphone records to show Mukhtiar Panghali must have had some contact with his wife after he said he had last seen her, Murray said. He also told B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster that Panghali later moved his wife's car to Green Timbers Park in Surrey to throw off investigators.

Mukhtiar Panghali held a news conference in the days after he'd declared his wife missing and tearfully begged for her return.

The trial is expected to last about four weeks.