Husband kills his wife as he beats her with crowbar over 100 times, Alaska officials say
A man accused of killing his wife as he beat her with a crowbar more than 100 times has been sentenced to prison, Alaska prosecutors say.
Jim Adams, of Noatak, was given an 80-year prison sentence in relation to his wife’s death after he was convicted of second-degree murder last September, the Alaska Department of Law said in a March 11 news release. Adams was also given 10 additional years in the assault of his cousin, prosecutors said.
In a March 12 email to McClatchy News, Jay Hochberg, the attorney representing Adams, said he had “no comment at this time.”
Adams, who denied killing his wife in an initial interview with authorities, previously pleaded not guilty, Anchorage Daily News reported.
When Adams woke the morning of June 27, 2020, prosecutors said he realized his wife was not home and eventually found her at his cousin’s home.
“Armed with a crowbar,” prosecutors said Adams “kicked in the door to the arctic entry” before also kicking in the main door to the home.
Evidence at trial showed that as he swung the crowbar at his wife, his cousin stepped in front of her, prosecutors said.
This strike broke his cousin’s arm, but Adams continued to beat him, striking his head and face, prosecutors said.
After his cousin fell unconscious on the living room floor, prosecutors said Adams began to beat his wife.
He struck her with “the crowbar more than 100 times,” prosecutors said.
Adams took his wife’s clothing during the beating and hid them at his home, according to prosecutors.
He later claimed “the killing was done in a heat of passion” after he said he found his wife naked in his cousin’s bed, prosecutors said.
Evidence, however, suggested otherwise, according to prosecutors.
Alaska State Troopers later found his wife’s bloody clothing at his home, along with the clothes Adams wore during the assaults, prosecutors said.
Forensic testing showed the blood on Adams’ sleeves matched that of his wife and cousin, according to prosecutors.
During the trial, prosecutors said “the jury rejected the defense of heat of passion and found that Adams acted recklessly in killing” his wife.
Noatak is in northwest Alaska.
If you are experiencing domestic violence and need someone to talk to, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline for support at 1-800-799-7233 or text “START” to 88788.
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