[Faline]

A Utah doctor and former bishop has been found guilty of murdering his wife in a bathtub after drugging her, bringing to an end a trial that has gripped the nation.



Father-of-eight, Martin MacNeill was accused of knocking out Michele MacNeill with drugs after cosmetic surgery, then helping her into the tub before holding her head underwater.

Family testimony suggested it was MacNeill who insisted his 50-year-old wife, a former local beauty queen, get the surgery.

Prosecutors said he used it as an excuse to mix painkillers, Valium and sleeping pills for her supposed recovery

Prosecutor Chad Grunander said "it was an almost perfect murder," and that the doctor "pumped her full of drugs" that he knew would be difficult to detect once she was dead.

Prosecutors said MacNeill contrived a medical condition in the weeks leading up to his wife's death, telling many around him he was dying of cancer or multiple sclerosis to absolve him of any motive in the death.

During the three-week trial prosecutors argued MacNeill's mistress was the motive for killing his wife six years ago.

Gypsy Willis testified that she had a 15-month affair with the doctor at the time of Mrs MacNeill's death and that she was hired as a nanny and given a marriage proposal shortly after her death.

But Ms Willis said she ended the affair years ago and she did not know anything about the death.

The case captured national attention because MacNeill was a wealthy doctor with a law degree, a father of eight in a picture-perfect family and a former bishop.

Before he was charged with murder in 2012, MacNeill served time in a federal prison in Texas on fraud charges.

He also served time for using the identity of one of his adopted daughters to escape a debt-heavy history.

His only son committed suicide in January 2010.

MacNeill was medical director of the Utah State Development Center, a residential centre for people with cognitive disorders.

Along with murder, he was also convicted of obstruction of justice.

[kellyhound]

MacNeill will be sentenced on January 7th and could serve 15 years to life in prison on the murder charge and one to 15 years on the obstruction of justice charge when he is sentenced

good riddance of this pos

[Megamel29]

Why do this? Was he worried she would get a lot of his money if they divorced? Sickening. Money shouldn't be valued more than life, no matter how much there is.

[Spiffyfable]

Talk about having it all and throwing it away