A man in New Jersey was recently sentenced to 22 years behind bars for the murder of his wife. 40-year-old Steven Acuna pleaded guilty to killing his wife, 32-year-old Randy "Amanda" Lehrer.

A man in New Jersey was recently sentenced to 22 years behind bars for the murder of his wife. The case dates back to 2011.

On August 13th of that year, 40-year-old Steven Acuna got into a fight with his spouse, 32-year-old Randy "Amanda" Lehrer. As soon as the victim was reported missing, search parties comprised of Lehrer’s friends and family gathered to scour the local area for any sign of her.

Authorities deemed Acuna a person of interest right from the start of the investigation. About a month after she went missing, Lehrer’s body was found in the basement of the building where the couple lived. Her remains, encased in cement, had been stuffed inside a 55 gallon drum.

Shortly after the body was found, Acuna entered a guilty plea on charges of aggravated manslaughter.

Lehrer and Acuna are the parents of a little girl. She was only a year old when her mother was murdered. Now, the child is in the custody of Lehrer's relatives.

Right before his sentencing, Acuna issued an apology to the victim’s family.