Defense gets turn in David Swain case

TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands (AP) - Court officials say a Rhode Island man accused of killing his wife during a 1999 scuba-diving trip will testify in his own defense.

Fifty-three-year-old David Swain is scheduled to testify Wednesday in the British Virgin Islands murder trial. He says he is innocent and that his wife died in a tragic accident.

Defense lawyers say they will call up to seven witnesses.

Prosecutors closed their case Tuesday by showing videotapes of depositions from a Rhode Island civil trial that found Swain responsible for his wife's death.

Shelley Tyre's drowning was initially ruled an accident, but Tortola authorities reopened the case after the civil trial.

Prosecutors say Swain killed his 46-year-old wife, Shelley Tyre, to pursue another woman.