BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A Louisiana man accused of strangling his wife in their bedroom in 2016 while their 11-year-old daughter slept has been convicted of second-degree murder.
Donald Wayne Germany II, 46, was found guilty in East Baton Rouge Parish on Thursday of killing Nichole Michelle Jones, 41, The Advocate reported.
Germany testified during the trial that he was confronting his wife of more than 15 years about why she did not call for help when he had attempted suicide two years before. He then became angry and admitted he “grabbed her by the neck,” the newspaper said.
Germany said he later called 911 and confessed to the crime.
Germany’s attorney, Margaret Lagattuta, told the jury that he and his wife had been having marital problems, and he snapped, according to court testimony. His defense sought a manslaughter conviction carrying a 40-year sentence.
The defendant apologized to his wife’s family in court and added that Jones and his daughter were his “world.”
Germany and Jones met while serving in the U.S. Army and were married in 2000.
He faces a mandatory term of life in prison at a February sentencing.
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