ST. CHARLES, Mo. (AP) - A St. Louis-area man has been convicted of killing his estranged wife just hours after a June 2009 divorce hearing.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that St. Charles County jurors deliberated about 6 1/2 hours before finding 34-year-old Aaron LaRose guilty of first-degree murder and armed criminal action.
The body of 30-year-old Jill LaRose was found in a drainage ditch in rural St. Charles County.
Authorities say LaRose choked his wife and stabbed her in the throat three times after abducting her.
Prosecutors said Aaron LaRose had harassed Jill LaRose by phone. He left threatening voice messages that were played in court.
The couple had three children, and he blamed her for hurting him and their family.