Bloomsburg, Columbia County – A woman convicted for murdering her husband was back in court Friday to learn her penalty.
Maria Sanutti-Spencer will spend life behind bars following the first degree murder conviction. Her husband Frank Spencer was shot to death in 2012. 11 other charges including arson and conspiracy will run consecutively with her life sentence.
“I did not kill Frank Spencer and I never wanted Frank Spencer to die I love that man,” said Maria as she was walking out of court Friday.
A judge says Maria is going to prison for life, without the chance of parole. It comes after a grand jury convicted her of first degree murder last month for killing her husband at his home in July of 2012. After being sentenced Maria still maintains she didn’t do it.
“They just sent an innocent person to prison and they took their mother from their kids I think, I don’t even have words for it.”
“Maria told Eyewitness News the jury would find her not guilty. If you ask her, she believes it was not a fair trial. “The judge just wouldn’t let me bring the pople in that got hired to kill him. They didn’t bring the guards in that said kill him in early 2000 and everyday it got worst. But I got sentenced and I’ll make the best of it.”
For the commonwealth prosecutors, Senior Deputy of Attorney General Anthony Forray says he is glad to see justice for the Spencer family.
“This was a long time coming people have been terrorized over an extended period of time we’re happy we’ve gotten to this stage,” said Forray.
Steve Earnest was a friend of Frank Spencer, he owns Steve’s Repari Shop near Spencer’s home and he agrees. “Nobody should have to go through that. I don’t want to see the kids suffer through all this but mom is going to get what she deserves.”
Maria claims her father killed her husband. “I believe so, yes, but he did not do it for me. He did it because Frank ** him off.”
Anthony Franklin is in Argentina waiting for his appeal after a judge approved his extradition back to the United States.
