Conviction Upheld in Christmas Day 2013 Killing in Ellsworth, Maine

Christopher Saenz was convicted of fatally beating his wife over a period of days

The Maine supreme court has rejected the appeal of an Ellsworth man sentenced to 47 years in prison for murdering his wife on Christmas Day of 2013.

Christopher Saenz, who maintained his innocence, was convicted of fatally beating his wife over a period of days, inflicting head-to-toe injuries, and then delaying seeking medical assistance when she fell unconscious.

Saenz contended the evidence was insufficient to convict. He contended his wife, Hilary Saenz, suffered a seizure and struck her head when she fell.

In a unanimous decision, the court ruled Tuesday that "unrelenting and horrific abuse" along with a delay in dialing 911 supported the conclusion that Saenz murdered his wife and acted with "depraved indifference" to the value of human life.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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