"Coffee Killer" Poisoned Wife, Gets 19 Years to Life

NEW YORK (CBS/AP) A Long Island, N.Y. man who admitted killing his wife by lacing her coffee with cyanide has been sentenced to 19 years to life in prison.

David Steeves pleaded guilty in June to second-degree murder in the death of his 41-year-old wife, Maureen.

An autopsy found the woman was killed by potassium cyanide poisoning. Defense attorney Craig McElwee said the 45-year-old Steeves bought the cyanide to kill himself but "chickened out" and gave it to his wife instead.

Steeves pleaded guilty after prosecutors assured him that his sons would not be in court for the sentencing.

The boys, ages 17 and 15, wrote letters to the judge, saying their father deserved no mercy.

What he got, was a well-deserved serving of justice.