AP Photo/Ruby Rawson, file
Clay Waller, left, a southeast Missouri man, pleaded guilty June 6, 2013 to killing Jacque Waller, right, his estranged wife, a mother of triplets, who was missing since June 1, 2011 before her body was found May 29, 2013 on an island in the nearby Mississippi River.
Clay Waller pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Jacque Waller. He was initially charged with first-degree murder in 2012, even though her body hadn't been found yet. He had faced a September 2013.
His plea to the lesser charge was conditional on him leading investigators to his wife's body and his confession in court. The plea deal, agreed to by prosecutors, calls for a 20-year prison sentence.
Jacque Waller's sister, Cheryl Brenneke, has custody of the couple's 7-year-old triplets. Clay Waller had already been serving a five-year term in federal prison for threatening Brenneke over the Internet. His sentence in the murder case will run concurrent with the federal case, officials said.
Personal Photo
This undated personal photo shows Jacque Sue Waller with one of her children.
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Clay Waller in an undated personal photo.
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Jacque Waller in an undated personal photo.
AP Photo/Ruby Rawson, file
Jacque Waller and her three children in an undated personal photo.
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Jacque Sue Waller and her three children in an undated personal photo.
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Clay Waller and his three children in an undated personal photo.
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Jacque Waller in an undated personal photo.
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This undated personal photo shows Clay Waller and his triplets.
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This undated personal photo shows Jacque Sue Waller.
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This undated personal photo shows Clay Waller and his triplets.
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This undated personal photo shows Jacque Sue Waller, far right, and unidentified family members.
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This undated personal photo shows Jacque Sue Waller with one of her children.
Personal Photo
This undated personal photo shows Jacque Sue Waller.
Personal Photo
This undated personal photo shows Jacque Sue Waller.
Personal Photo
This undated personal photo shows Jacque Sue Waller and her triplets.
Personal Photo
This undated personal photo shows Jacque Sue Waller and two of her children.
Personal Photo
This undated personal photo shows Jacque Sue Waller and one of her children.
Personal Photo
This undated personal photo shows Jacque Sue Waller and one of her children.
Personal Photo
This undated personal photo shows Jacque Sue Waller and her triplets.