According to the St. Louis County prosecutor's office, a Missouri man was sentenced Friday to life imprisonment without parole for killing his wife in 2019 with a mallet.
Beau Rothwell, 31, was convicted by a jury in April of first-degree killing in Jennifer Rothwell’s murder west of St. Louis.
Jennifer Rothwell, who was murdered, had searched for "what to do if you husband is upset that you are pregnant" according to search warrants.
Beau Rothwell, a witness at the trial, said that he had killed his wife in a heated argument about his affair with another woman. However, the killing was not premeditated.
Jennifer Rothwell was reported as missing on November 12, 2019. Police have stated that detectives searching the Rothwell home discovered blood on the carpet. The carpet had also been bleached. Beau Rothwell was arrested for murder before the body was discovered.
Beau Rothwell, who testified that he was in an "red haze of anger" when the murder occurred, was convicted by his lawyers. According to the St. Louis County prosecutor's Office, he was convicted on voluntary manslaughter and not murder. He was convicted of murder by the jury on April 28.
Rothwell, who was in court Friday, apologized to his family. KSDK reported that he said, "words can't describe how sorry I feel."
Robin Von Hausen, Jennifer Rothwell's mom, stated that Jennifer was "a bright light in their lives" and that they "thought we would have more time with her than 28 years."
According to the prosecutor's office, Beau Rothwell was convicted for murder, tampering evidence and abandonment of corpse.
