An Ottumwa man received a life sentence for murdering his wife in 2021.
On Monday, 63-year-old Gregory Allen Showalter Sr. was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
On September 22, a Wapello County jury found Showalter guilty of first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, willful injury, and domestic abuse assault.
Showalter did not show up in court for the jury verdict and authorities began a search for him. He was later found in his Ottumwa residence in the morning hours of September 23. Showalter was charged with interference with official acts after his capture.
Authorities say Showalter killed Helen Showalter on July 31, 2021. Helen was reported missing and on the following day, her body was found near the Des Moines River in rural Wapello County.
