A central Illinois man has pleaded guilty to the death of his wife, whose body was found in a plastic tote. Shaun Michael Thomas of Urbana pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the death of 37-year-old Jessica Thomas. Champaign County sheriff's deputies found Jessica Thomas' body June 1 while doing a welfare check when she didn't show up for work.
Prosecutors said Shaun Thomas choked his wife after the couple argued about using a vehicle. He then taped her body in a plastic tote before seeing squad cars and turning himself in.
Prosecutors recommend the 38-year-old Thomas' sentence be no more than 45 years as part of a plea agreement. Two other murder counts and one count of concealment of a homicidal death will be dropped at sentencing on Nov. 30
