Iowa man sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing pregnant wife

Published January 08, 2015

An Iowa man convicted of killing his pregnant wife was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday after the victim's relatives called him a coward who betrayed and devastated their family.

Relatives of Lisa Techel broke down in tears at the Monroe County Courthouse in Albia as they confronted Seth Techel for what they called the monstrous killing of their beloved sister and daughter.

Seth Techel, a 23-year-old former volunteer firefighter, showed no emotion and declined to speak during the hearing.

Lisa Techel's father, Todd Caldwell, pointed his finger at his former son-in-law after he described his close relationship with his daughter. "You know what you took from me," he said.

Judge Daniel Wilson sentenced Techel to life in prison without parole for first-degree murder, plus an additional 25 years for the nonconsensual termination of a human pregnancy.

A jury found Techel guilty in July of shooting his wife of seven months to death while she slept in the trailer they shared in Agency, a rural town in southeastern Iowa. She was four months pregnant with their first child, a girl they had agreed to name Zoey.

Wilson said the impact of the crime was "unbelievable and none of it was necessary."

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/us/iowa-man-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-without-parole-for-killing-pregnant-wife