A former Pennsylvania pastor was sentenced to life in prison on Monday without parole for the brutal murder of his second wife in 2008, according to reports. He is also facing charges for the murder of his first wife in 1999.
Arthur Schirmer, 64, was given the life sentence nearly two months after a jury convicted him of first-degree murder in the death of Betty Schirmer. The trial lasted11-day trial at which 60 witnesses testified, the Associated Press said in a report.
The former Methodist pastor bludgeoned his wife to death with a metal tool, like a crowbar, and then staged a car crash to make it appear she sustained the fatal injury as a result of a car accident. He took the stand in his own defense and testified that he was driving her to the emergency room for treatment of jaw pain when he swerved to avoid a deer and hit a guard rail.
Once all the evidence was presented to the jury, the members took only 90 minutes to reach the guilty verdict.
Following the investigation of the murder of Betty Schirmer, police and prosecutors reopened the case of Jewel Schirmer, Arthur Schirmer's first wife.
Her body was found on April 23, 1999, in a pool of blood at the bottom of the basement steps. Arthur denied any involvement in her death at the time, saying that he had been out for a jog and found her lifeless body upon his return.
In September 2012, Arthur Schirmer has been charged with Jewel's murder. The trial date was not stated.
