Idaho Man Sentenced for Stabbing Wife

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — A 45-year-old Idaho man who stabbed his estranged wife after she rejected his efforts at reconciliation has been sentenced to 50 years in the Montana State Prison with 30 suspended.

KECI-TV reports District Judge Karen Townsend sentenced Emmitt Hogsten Jr., on Tuesday, saying he would not be eligible for parole for 20 years. Hogsten earlier pleaded guilty to attempted deliberate homicide.

Prosecutors say Hogsten traveled to Missoula last year with the hope of reconnecting with his estranged wife. The two were riding around in her truck on Nov. 12, 2012, when she told him she wanted a divorce. Prosecutors say Hogsten choked her and stabbed her six or seven times in the chest until the knife broke. The woman was able to escape to a nearby business for help. They have since divorced.