An Alabama man admitted to the 2020 murder of his wife and has been sentenced to 40 years in prison through a plea deal with prosecutors, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.

In July 2020, a missing persons report was filed on 55-year-old Stephanie Rivers-Simpson, a Pensacola, Florida, native. Early in the investigation, law enforcement officials began to believe Rivers-Simpson’s husband — Joshua Simpson of Beatrice, Alabama — had killed his wife and hid her body, the district attorney’s office said.

Continued investigation and forensic evidence ultimately led investigators to a shallow grave in a heavily wooded area of property owned by Simpson’s family in the Black’s Loop area of Monroe County. Rivers-Simpson’s body was recovered on July 9, 2020 and Simpson was arrested and ultimately indicted for capital murder.

At the time of the murder, Rivers-Simpson had obtained a protective order against Simpson. She was scheduled to testify at a hearing on the extension of the order, according to court documents.

Investigators and prosecutors said the evidence shows Simpson and Rivers-Simpson engaged in an argument in their home on July 3, 2020. The argument escalated before Simpson strangled his wife to death before transporting his body to the Black’s Loop property and burying it in a 2-feet deep grave.

Simpson, 37, admitted to the murder Wednesday in front of Monroe County Circuit Court Judge Jack Weaver, who imposed the 40-year sentence. Simpson was facing a maximum sentence of 85 years under sentencing guidelines. He will be given credit for the 3 1/2 years he has been jailed awaiting trial, according to court documents.

Prior to reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors, Simpson was facing a capital murder charge which carries a possible death sentence.

“No amount of punishment will bring back the life that was taken,” said Monroe County District Attorney Todd Watson. “There are no winners in a murder case. However, we are satisfied with the sentence in this case since Mr. Simpson was willing to admit his guilt and accept the punishment. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families involved in this tragic incident.”