A former Pennsylvania pastor, Arthur “A.B.” Schirmer, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in connection to the death of his second wife, Betty Schirmer.

Fox news reported that the jury of Monroe County Court convicted Schirmer of fatally bludgeoning his wife. Two months prior, he was convicted of first-degree murder.

In 2008, Schirmer allegedly hit his wife’s head with a crowbar and then staged a low-speed accident with her body concealed in the vehicle in an effort to hide the crime, according to reports.

The former pastor testified in January, stating he was innocent, according to the Huffington Post.

“I didn't stage an event," said Schirmer, who insisted his decision to swerve to avoid hitting a deer in the road was what caused him to crash into a guardrail.

Betty Schirmer was on life support following the accident.

“It was agonizing, really, because you want her to live. We wanted her to live. It was just a very agonizing decision,” said Schirmer.

In 1999, Schirmer’s first wife, Jewel Schirmer, was found dead in the couple’s home at the bottom of their basement stairs. Schirmer told prosecutors he found his first wife after he had come home from a jog and that she had been vacuuming dog hair from the steps. Schirmer is still awaiting trial for the suspected murder of Jewel Schirmer.

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