Man sentenced to life in Ohio prison to be released

COLUMBUS (AP) — A man sentenced to life in prison for strangling his wife is set to be released under a new plea agreement, after an Ohio coroner changed the woman’s manner of death.

The Columbus Dispatch reports 56-year-old Timothy Howard had filed for a new trial after the Franklin County corner changed the manner of death for his wife Delilah from homicide to “could not be determined” in 2012.

Howard entered an Alford plea to involuntary manslaughter and attempted tampering with evidence Tuesday. His agreement included a recommended sentence of 10 years and seven months in prison. Howard has already served about 10 1/2 years in prison for his wife’s death in 2006.

Defense lawyer Joanna Sanchez says Howard could be released by mid-July.