MESA, Ariz. — An East Valley man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for murdering his wife after she announced she wanted to end their marriage.
Vaughn A. Wilson, 31, was recently sentenced in court after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and aggravated assault.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Hombre de Mesa es sentenciado a prisión por asesinar a su esposa después de que ella intentó poner fin al matrimonio
In July 2021, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office received a call from a man claiming to have just killed his wife. When deputies arrived at a residence on Emelita Avenue, they found Wilson outside and his wife dead inside from a gunshot wound.
The suspect told investigators he shot his wife three times after she indicated to him that she wanted a divorce.
"Vaughn stated he shot his wife because he could not live with the thought of his wife being with someone else besides him," investigators wrote in court documents at the time of Wilson's arrest.
Evidence at the scene suggested the victim was shot twice while attempting to get away, and then again in the head while she lay on the floor, according to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.
"Far too often domestic violence victims are killed when they choose to break free from their abuser,” County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a statement. “Every act of seeking justice against an abuser is a powerful declaration that their actions will not go unchallenged and that they will be held accountable."
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