TACOMA — A man who admitted strangling his wife with a belt has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
KCPQ-TV reported that Michael Leroy Brown, 57, was sentenced Monday in Pierce County Superior Court. He previously pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the January death of his wife, Valerie Leroy Brown, 59.
Prosecutors had argued that Brown strangled his wife with a belt in the bedroom of their home while she was sleeping. He then called 911 to report what he had done.
Deputies say Brown told them he had recently lost his job and didn’t want his wife to suffer the consequences.
He also reportedly said he previously attempted suicide and had been taking anti-depressants at the time of his wife’s death.
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