Glenpool Man Sentenced To Life In Prison For Murdering Wife

A Tulsa County judge sentenced a Glenpool man to life in prison without parole for beating his wife to death and dumping her body into Bird Creek.

Prosecutors say Michael Jimenez strangled his wife Erica Jimenez and beat her with rebar inside their home, all while Erica's three kids were home. Jimenez told deputies Erica fell into Bird Creek and drowned.

The judge didn't mince words on Monday when sentencing Jimenez. She said Jimenez left his wife Erica broken from head to toe and left her to die like a dog. The judge says he needs to be locked up because he's a danger to everyone, especially women.

Prosecutors say Jimenez beat his wife to death at their home, then dumped her into Bird Creek to make it look like an accident. Prosecutors say this was a long, drawn out, savage beating, where there was no mercy and only pain. Erica's family asked the judge to not give Jimenez any mercy.

"That doesn't need to be out on the street. Somebody who does that, and has done it in the past, obviously can't learn anything,” said Erica’s brother Kenneth Steffens.

Erica's family packed the courtroom for the whole trial and were there again Monday morning, wearing purple shirts for domestic violence awareness.

"It was a way that we were able to show what we could show, that we were there for Erica, that we were there to make sure her voice was heard after she could no longer speak,” said Steffens.

Prosecutors argued during the trial that Jimenez had a pattern of beating women and two of his previous victims testified. They say the only other word for Erica's murder, is torture.

"I'll say this medical examiner's report horrified me. Seeing the amount of injuries she suffered before she died is something that I haven't seen very often in my career and hope to not see again in my career,” said Tulsa County Assistant District Attorney Katie Koljack.

The medical examiner testified Erica was stomped on, beaten and strangled. Erica's family was determined to get justice for her and her three kids who are now without a mom.

"If he had shown any remorse or any moment of that, and the judge understood that. He just continued on, when he could have stopped,” said Steffens.

The judge gave Jimenez a chance to address the court before sentencing but he declined.