Court Told Murder Victim Had Husband Followed

Witnesses in the trial of a La Canada Flintridge man accused of murdering his wife testified that the victim, Tessie Miralle, suspected her husband of infidelity and had hired private investigators to trail him.

Donald Miralle, 47, an Altadena civil engineer, is accused of strangling his wife of 21 years on Sept. 12, 1990, then dumping her body off a dirt road near Victorville in San Bernardino County and setting it on fire.

Among the witnesses during the first day of the trial Tuesday in Victorville Superior Court was the Miralles’ oldest child, Anita, 20, who said her parents had long argued and talked about divorce. But all three of the Miralle children have steadfastly maintained that their father is innocent.