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Man from Missouri gets recommendation of up to 28 years in prison for killing his wife

Menqi Ji's remains were found in March

AdminNovember 12, 2021

Joseph Elledge, center, sits with his lawyers Scott Rosenblum, right, and Matei Stroescu, Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021, in court in Columbia, Mo. Elledge, who admitted to burying his wife’s body and misleading authorities for more than a year about her whereabouts, was convicted of second-degree murder. The jury found Elledge guilty in the killing of 28-year-old Mengqi Ji, whom he married after she moved to the U.S. from China to study at the University of Missouri. (Alessia Tagliabue/Missourian via AP, Pool)

(AP) – A jury has recommended up to 28 years in prison for a Missouri man found guilty of killing his wife. News outlets report the jury returned the recommendation early Friday only hours after Joseph Elledge was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of Mengqi Ji. The judge will make the official sentence at a December hearing but cannot sentence Elledge to more than 28 years. Ji’s remains were found in March in a park near Columbia more than a year after she was reported missing. Elledge admitted during his trial that he buried his wife’s body. He said she died after she fell and hit her head after he pushed her during an argument.