Mark Stobbe took to the stand for the first time Thursday at the murder trial for the 2000 killing of his wife Beverly Rowbotham.

The first thing Stobbe was asked by the defence was whether he killed Rowbotham.

"No, I did not," said Stobbe.

He was then asked if he moved her body.

"No, I did not," Stobbe repeated.

He then went on to present a sense of an ordinary family life.

Stobbe testified he met Rowbotham at work in 1991. He was the chief of staff to the minister of social services in Saskatchewan. Stobbe and Rowbotham married two years later and had two sons.

Within two years, however, he said they were seeing a marriage counselor.

"We had discovered we weren't enjoying each other's company as much as we had," said Stobbe.

In 2000, he received a job with the Manitoba government and moved his family to St. Andrews, north of Winnipeg, where they settled into a large home.

"When we first arrived, we had thought we had moved to paradise," said Stobbe.

The next day, however, Stobbe said mosquitoes were out and the family later had ants and some flooding to contend with.

"It seemed like one thing after another," he said.

The Crown alleges Stobbe rode a bike 15 km home after killing his wife. Her body was found in the back seat of her car near a gas station in Selkirk.

On the stand Thursday in Winnipeg, Stobbe testified physical exertion is something he'd avoid.

"I've got a lazy streak in me, in terms of physical activity," he said.

At the time Rowbotham's death, Stobbe said he weighed in at about 270 to 280 pounds (122 – 127 kg).

He said he'd been on a bike a half dozen or so times.

He later testified that the last time he saw his wife, she was heading out to go grocery shopping.

"Then she left and I never saw her again," testified Stobbe.

He said he fell asleep and when he later awoke, his wife had not returned.

"I was pretty sure there was something wrong but I was trying to convince myself there wasn't," testified Stobbe.

He said he became concerned that perhaps she had an accident. Stobbe testified he then called RCMP.

Police later arrived and told him they'd found her car and her body.

The defence asked what state he was in after getting the news.

"All I wanted to do was crawl in a hole and die myself," said Stobbe.

He is expected to resume testimony on Friday, March 9, in Winnipeg.

- with reports from CTV's Caroline Barghout and Ina Sidhu, and files from The Canadian Press