Man sentenced to life in prison plus 17 years for killing his wife in 2018

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A man was sentenced Thursday for killing his wife in Kansas City, Missouri in 2018.

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Gene Birdsong, 47, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole plus 17 more years, according to WDAF. Birdsong was found guilty in February of first-degree murder and armed criminal action.

Tabitha Birdsong was found dead near 36th Street and Madison Avenue in Nov. 2018. She was stabbed to death with “obvious head injuries,” according to court documents obtained by KMBC.

The news outlet reported that Tabitha Birdsong had an order of protection in her pocket with her name as well as Gene Birdsong’s name on it when she was found.

A witness also reportedly saw Gene Birdsong with bloody pants, WDAF reported.

Prior to the murder, Gene and Tabitha Birdsong were married for almost a decade, KMBC reported.