Judson Keith Hoover, 50, pleaded guilty to killing his wife, 38-year-old Rebecca Ruth Hoover. Rebecca was last seen on August 2nd, and Judson filed for divorce the next day, though she was already dead.

The case surfaced when their eight-year-old son told a school counselor he saw his father kill his mother. Judson pleaded guilty to spare his son from testifying.

New Albany Police Chief Todd Bailey said the investigation began on August 4 when Rebecca’s mother reported her missing. By August 27, police suspected foul play and intensified their efforts.

Search warrants led to the discovery of Rebecca’s body and Judson’s arrest. The probable cause affidavit revealed the child witnessed his father stomping on Rebecca’s head and punching her. Judson confessed to strangling her, but the medical examiner confirmed she died from blunt force trauma. Surveillance footage showed Judson moving her body to a storage facility, where it was later recovered.