A California judge has sentenced a former Roane County resident and California fertility doctor for second-degree murder in the killing of his wife.

Court officials say 58-year-old Eric Scott Sills was guilty in the death of 45-year-old Susann Stephanie Arsuaga Sills on November 13, 2016.

The attorney for Eric Sills tried to convince a jury that Susann’s medication to treat her migraines impacted her balance the night of her death. He said it caused her to fall down the stairs and suffer a spinal injury leaving her unable to breathe.

However, evidence showed Susann died of strangulation.

The judge gave Sills 15 years to life in prison.

Being sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for a crime such as second-degree murder means that the individual must serve a minimum of 15 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole. The “to life” portion signifies that there’s no set maximum duration for the sentence, and the individual could potentially spend the rest of their life in prison.

Sills is a 1983 Harriman High School graduate and a 1985 graduate of Roane State Community College. He attended Vanderbilt University where he graduated in 1987. Sills then attended the University of Tennessee Medical School at Memphis.

Picture used in the story courtesy of The Independent