Killer is sentenced to at least 15 years

A St. George man was sentenced in 5th District Court Monday for stabbing his wife to death in front of the couple's 16-year-old son.

Jaime Antonio Lopez Sr., 41, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder as part of a plea deal that reduced his charges from aggravated murder, which is a capitol felony.

Lopez stabbed his estranged wife, Maria Rivas, to death inside their home in September 2006. He believed she was having an affair, according to court documents filed early in the case. Police told the Deseret Morning News in February that there was no evidence of an affair.

Washington County Deputy Attorney Matt Miller, the prosecutor in the case, said he agreed to reduce the charges against Lopez because the murderer had not previously been convicted of any crimes.

Miller was also concerned about the juvenile who watched the stabbing. The boy and his eight siblings living in El Salvador were essentially orphaned Monday, the attorney said.

Lopez's case will be reviewed for parole after he spends at least 15 years in prison. Miller has asked that it not be reviewed for 20 years but said the judge in the case, James Shumate, asked that the case be reviewed at between 15 and 20 years, Miller said.

Miller's publicly appointed defense attorney, Douglas D. Terry, was not available for comment.