Missouri Man Who Burned Woman’s Body Gets Life in Prison

Sixty-six-year-old Jay Rothe Sr. was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty in April to second-degree murder in the death of 53-year-old Linda Riley.

Before sentencing, Rothe told the judge Riley's February 2012 death was an accident. Rothe said he hit Riley but she died when she fell and hit her head. KYTV-TV reports Rothe's attorney argued for the minimum 10-year prison sentence because of his age and ill health.

Mountjoy rejected the plea, saying Rothe was a danger to women and children. Mountjoy said Rothe showed how he really felt about Riley by burning her body. Investigators found only bone fragments at the burn site.