Witness says suspect told him that he was defending himself

By Matt Pordum (contact)

Thursday, July 21, 2005 | 11:03 a.m.

A man charged with killing his roommate and burying him under the floor of their apartment has said little in his defense. However, the man who turned him in to the FBI testified Wednesday that it was a case of self-defense.

Mark Hegge said Greg Stiegler went by the name of Craig when he met him in Flagstaff, Ariz., where, Hegge said, Stiegler told him "he was wanted in Las Vegas for murdering someone."

Stiegler is being tried on a murder charge in the death of Robert Wilson at his home at the Orleans Square Apartments in the 500 block of South Maryland Parkway and then burying him in concrete under a stairwell in the apartment.

Prosecutors say Stiegler continued to live in the apartment with Wilson's body underneath the floor for months until it was discovered in May 2002.

Hegge, who said he smoked methamphetamine with Stiegler daily, said he initially didn't believe Stiegler, but as Stiegler elaborated, Hegge said, "it rung true to me."

"Craig had elaborated on what happened and said the guy was buried under his floor," Hegge said. "He said a friend buried the body."

Hegge, a landscaper who lives in Arizona, said Stiegler said he "defended himself from a guy coming at him with a gun to shoot him."

He said Stiegler told him he "tried to hit the gun out of his hand and there was a struggle for the gun." Hegge said he didn't recall Stiegler ever saying he had a weapon.

Friend or not, Hegge said he felt he had little choice but to alert the FBI.

"If someone buries a body under the house you don't know what kind of person your dealing with," Hegge said.

He said FBI agents would later locate and run Stiegler down in the woods.

Earlier during Wednesday's testimony the manager of the apartment complex, Grete "Heidi" Raser, who found Wilson's body, testified.

Raser choked up in court as she explained that after Steigler was evicted, she had to have new carpet installed in the apartment. She said she noticed a cut in the living room carpet under the stairway to the second floor. She pulled it back and revealed a rectangular area covered with black roofing tar.

Raser, who knew Wilson was missing, said she first knocked on the floor, jokingly saying, "Bob, are you in there?"

But her mood changed after she poked her finger into the soft tar and released the smell of something decomposing.

Raser contacted the police, and Wilson's body, wrapped in plastic sheeting secured with masking tape, was found.

The prosecution is expected to continue its case on Friday morning.