Arizona man gets life in prison in murder of wife who "vigorously struggled" after being buried alive, prosecutors say

An Arizona man has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2017 death of his wife,  who was buried alive in a hand-dug grave near their home while their children slept, authorities said.

Seven years after the murder, David Pagniano decided to plead guilty before his trial was scheduled to start and allowed a judge to determine his sentence without a plea agreement.

Pagniano, 62, also was sentenced on May 9 to a 16 ½-year prison term for kidnapping, forgery and fraud, according to the Yavapai County Attorney's Office.