Minister Confesses to Wife's Murder in Court: Report

A Prince George’s County court hearing took an unexpected twist when a minister from Upper Marlboro admitted for the first time that he had strangled his wife.

Spencer Chase is serving a life sentence for the 2008 murder of his estranged wife, Antoinette. He was in court Wednesday to ask for a reduced prison sentence of 15 years.

Chase told Judge Beverly Woodard – the same judge who said previously she had no doubt of his guilt when she sentenced him to life in prison – that he was guilty of taking a life.

In 2008 Chase strangled his wife at their home, then called 911 to report he had been out while his wife was attacked. The couple was in the midst of separating after 20 years of marriage.

“He horrifically and brutally murdered his wife and then went and ran errands like nothing happened,” John Erzen, a spokesman for the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney, told NBC Washington.

Following Chase’s confession this week, Woodard denied his appeal.

“The only thing I can say is I’m glad you admitted that you did it,” Woodard told him.

The victim’s daughter, Monique Davis, said her stepfather does not deserve mercy.

“I’m doing a life sentence, too, because I have to live without her,” Davis said.

Background of the Case

Spencer Chase was tried twice for murder. His first trial in May 2009 ended in a mistrial with jurors unable to reach a verdict. The second trial ended with a guilty verdict for Chase, and in November 2010 Judge Woodard sentenced him to life in prison.

Additional police work is credited with turning up evidence that convinced the second jury Chase had killed his wife, reports LegalInfo.com. There were no signs of forced entry or burglary in the home.

Detectives traced a signal for Antoinette Chase’s cell phone to a storm drain, where they also found her purse, wedding ring and mobile devices, along with a pair of work gloves and men’s size 11 shoes, the same size Spencer Chase wears. Both Chases were linked to the gloves by DNA evidence.

Antoinette Chase, 46, had worked as an analyst for the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Her daughter testified during the trial that after her mother’s murder, Spencer Chase showed no signs of grief. Instead, he reportedly called Davis to ask if she had received money from her mother’s life insurance policy.

»Screenshot of Antoinette and Spencer Chase from NBC Washington