Jeffery Trevino on Thursday appealed the judgment and sentence that he received late last year when he was convicted of killing his wife, according to court documents.

Trevino was sentenced in November to 27½ years in prison in connection with the murder of Kira Steger last February, nearly twice the maximum recommended by guidelines.

A notice of appeal was filed Thursday in Ramsey County District Court.

Among the key points of contention are the substantial sentencing departure, and what John Conard, Trevino's attorney, disputes was circumstantial evidence used to convict Trevino, Conard said.

Judge Leonardo Castro handed down the sentence after finding that Trevino acted with "particular cruelty" by dumping Steger's body in the Mississippi River to evade detection after killing her in their St. Paul home.

Steger went missing after a date night with Trevino at the Mall of America on Feb. 21. Following numerous public searches, her body was recovered from the Mississippi River on May 8.

A jury convicted Trevino in October of second-degree unintentional murder and acquitted him of second-degree intentional murder, meaning they didn't believe he planned the murder.

NICOLE NORFLEET