Man says wife didn’t come home from run, AZ cops say. Now he’s sentenced in her killing

A man is going to prison after pleading guilty to killing his wife, Arizona officials said.

In June, Daniel Paduchowski told Flagstaff police that his wife, Kelly Paduchowski, didn’t come home after she left to go for a run and a swim, officials told AZFamily.

Police suspected her husband had something to do with her disappearance when her car was found on the other side of town, officials told CBS News.

Neighbors told police they heard screams and saw the woman “motionless in the backyard just hours” before she was reported missing, according to court documents obtained by KNXV.

Eventually, Daniel Paduchowski admitted to killing his wife, police told CBS.

The victim’s family said the woman wanted to get divorced from her husband, KPNX reported. The victim’s family called him a “horrible person who is skilled at manipulating others” during the trial.

Although police didn’t specify where her body was found, Daniel Paduchowski, as part of his plea deal, told authorities where his wife’s remains were and gave them her phone, car keys, and the weapon used in the killing, CBS reported.

Daniel Paduchowski pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in July, according to local reports. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison Oct. 15.

“Kelly is my soulmate. Daniel could not have taken a more important person from me and the loss of her in this horrific way has absolutely brought me to my knees,” Lindsey McFall, the victim’s twin sister, said at the sentencing, according to AZFamily.

Flagstaff is about a 140-mile drive northeast of Phoenix.

This story was originally published October 16, 2024 at 1:55 PM with the headline "Man says wife didn’t come home from run, AZ cops say. Now he’s sentenced in her killing."