JACKSONVILLE, NC (WNCT/CNN) – After a former Marine sergeant in North Carolina pleaded guilty to his wife’s 2014 murder, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Victim Jordan Skaggs’ family says they’re glad justice was served and that her husband, 36-year-old Christopher Skaggs, received the sentence he did.
Christopher Skaggs pleaded guilty to first-degree murder Tuesday and received a life sentence without the possibility for parole.
"We are glad that he will never see the light of day again. It is the least that he deserves after what he has done to our daughter,” said Melody Coffey, the victim’s mother.
On July 13, 2014, Christopher Skaggs shot his wife 15 times while their children were inside the home. He later told investigators he did it because she’d been nagging him.
"He made a good choice today. He made a good choice. He didn't make good choices in the past, but I'm glad on behalf of this family that those children don't have to testify,” said Onslow County District Attorney Ernie Lee.
Jordan Skaggs is described by her family as a loving mother and “beautiful woman.” She was shot in the back and, according to an autopsy, suffered from domestic violence.
Coffey says if she could say one thing to her daughter, it would be this:
"You're not forgotten. You're not forgotten, and I love you. I still talk to you every day, even though I can't talk to you on the phone. But I'll see you again one day, and I know you'll be standing there, waiting for me,” she said.
Christopher Skaggs was within 60 days of medically retiring from the Marine Corps for post-traumatic stress disorder when he killed his wife. His attorney told the court both he and his wife were victims of sorts.
The attorney also said his client has expressed remorse for the crime. He is asking that the sentence be served in the veterans’ cell block at Maury Correctional Institution.
Copyright 2018 WNCT, Family photos via CNN. All rights reserved.
