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| Gambler Marcus Bebb-Jones guilty of US wife's murder | Gambler Marcus Bebb-Jones guilty of US wife's murder |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A professional poker player has pleaded guilty to murdering his American wife. | A professional poker player has pleaded guilty to murdering his American wife. |
| Marcus Bebb-Jones, of Kidderminster, Worcestershire, had previously denied killing Sabrina Bebb-Jones in 1997 and dumping her body in a US national park. | Marcus Bebb-Jones, of Kidderminster, Worcestershire, had previously denied killing Sabrina Bebb-Jones in 1997 and dumping her body in a US national park. |
| Mrs Bebb-Jones's skull was found in 2004 near Douglas Pass in north-west Colorado. Her husband was arrested at his Worcestershire home in 2009. | Mrs Bebb-Jones's skull was found in 2004 near Douglas Pass in north-west Colorado. Her husband was arrested at his Worcestershire home in 2009. |
| The 49-year-old lost his appeal against extradition in 2011. His trial had been postponed from November. | |
| Bebb-Jones entered his plea on Friday and is due to be sentenced on 1 May. | |
| Plea bargain | |
| Speaking to the BBC on Tuesday, the district attorney in Garfield County, Sheri Caloia said: "We are happy we can get on with sentencing now. | |
| "Since the skull was discovered it's taken three and a half years to bring [the case] to fruition." | |
| She explained that Bebb-Jones had pleaded guilty to second degree murder using a plea bargain. | |
| Ms Caloia said: "The plea affects the sentencing in that it reduces the number of years the judge can give Mr Bebb-Jones. | |
| "Pleading to first degree murder would be a life sentence but this charge of second degree murder with provocation carries a maximum of 32 years. | |
| "We've stipulated the judge would be limited to a maximum of 20 years." |