March 13, 2018 - 12:03 AM
RICHMOND, Va. - A former Richmond-area doctor convicted of murder in the death of his girlfriend, whose body has not been found, has been sentenced to 50 years in prison.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports a judge handed down a jury's recommended punishment for Dr. John E. Gibbs III on Monday.
Gibbs' attorneys said he maintains his innocence and plans to appeal.
The jury found Gibbs guilty in Zulma Pabon's death following an eight-day trial in December. Pabon, a nurse, went missing in 2014.
Prosecutors presented evidence including cellphone records, web searches, store purchases of drain cleaner and acid, and surveillance photo images.
According to the newspaper, the verdict marked the second time in less than two years that Chesterfield authorities won a conviction in a rare "no body" homicide case.
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Information from: Richmond Times-Dispatch, http://www.richmond.com
News from © The Associated Press, 2018