LEXINGTON, S.C. — Authorities say a 76-year-old man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for killing his wife, then reporting her missing a week later.
Prosecutor Rick Hubbard said Marion Wilkes was found guilty of murder Friday. Hubbard says he beat and stabbed his 59-year-old wife, Susan, to death in their West Columbia home in June 2014.
Authorities say Wilkes buried his wife of 34 years in a shallow grave before reporting her missing a week later. He even spoke to a local TV station about looking for her.
Investigators say Wilkes was a controlling husband and his wife only had four contacts in her cellphone.
Wilkes' son, Joseph, is also charged with murder and a third man, Eric Bassett, was charged with lying to police. Their cases are pending.
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