Police video, officer testimony mark first day of Holmen woman’s murder trial, who allegedly hit her husband with a truck

Details of a La Crosse County man’s death in 2019 were the main focus of opening-day testimony in the reckless homicide trial of the man’s wife.

Jurors in the Lori Phillips trial in La Crosse were selected Monday and saw videos of the Holmen area site, where Mark Phillips was found dead in a snowbank.

The murder trial has attracted national media attention with Court TV among the companies providing coverage.

Lori Phillips was shown on video reacting to her husband Mark’s body being found in the snow near their house.

Investigators say Mark was hit by a truck, allegedly driven by Lori after the two had been arguing.

Witnesses in court Monday, including a medical examiner, talked about the cause of Mark’s death from blunt force trauma.

Prosecutor Andrew Burdick told the jury that autopsy results should prove Mark Phillips was injured by blunt force and did not die from slipping and falling in the snow.

He added that evidence from court testimony “will show that the type and nature of Mr. Phillips’ injuries were too severe for them to be caused by anything other than a significant amount of force.”

The state claims Mark had to have been crushed or run over, possibly by a truck.

Sheriff’s investigator Michael Valencia testified about driving to where Mark’s body was found, and speaking with Lori Phillips, who claims she was looking for Mark early one morning, and found his body lying in a snowbank.

The Phillips trial resumes Tuesday morning, and is expected to last all week.