A Lauderdale County man was convicted Tuesday of killing his wife last year in a fatal shooting.

William Cornelius Chapin II, 64, of Florence, was sentenced to 30 years in prison by Presiding Circuit Judge Benjamin Graves for the killing of his wife, 59-year-old Debra Annette Chapin.

Chapin pleaded guilty to the murder charge in September and as part of his plea deal, the state has agreed not to prosecute allegations of sexual crimes against him involving both his biological and stepchildren, according to court documents.

Around 8 a.m. on March 12, 2024, Lauderdale County deputies responded to a call for a welfare check in the 4000 block of County Road 10, north of the Cloverdale community.

They found Debra’s body inside a nearby residence and determined she had died of a gunshot woun

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