Florida military mom guilty of killing her teens

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A former military linguist and Army officer’s wife convicted of murdering her two teenage children told a judge she knows what she has done and apologized.

Jurors today found 53-year-old Julie Schenecker guilty of killing both her 13-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter in Tampa in 2011. They rejected her insanity plea.

Before a judge sentenced her, Schenecker said, she takes responsibility. She says: “I know I shot my son and daughter. I don’t know why. But I have time to try to understand that.”

A judge then sentenced her to life in prison. Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty.

If she had been acquitted by reason of insanity, she would be committed to a mental hospital until doctors and a judge agree that she is no longer a danger to herself or others.