Amarillo Man Gets Life Term for 2014 Slaying of an Ex-Wife

CANYON, Texas (AP) — A 35-year-old Amarillo man has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2014 beating and shooting death of one of his ex-wives.

A Randall County jury on Thursday sentenced Jeremy Spielbauer shortly after convicting him on a lesser charge of murder. Prosecutors had tried Spielbauer on a capital murder charge in the April 2014 death of Robin Spielbauer.

Her body was discovered in a ditch, just west of Amarillo, near her SUV. Prosecutors said a child support dispute, involving the couple's two daughters, may have prompted the slaying.

A woman married to Jeremy Spielbauer at the time of the killing had been charged with capital murder, but the count was dropped based on cellphone tracking records. The couple later divorced.