Summary Bruce Beresford-Redman, 43, was convicted Thursday of killing Monica Burgos, 41.
MEXICO CITY (AFP) - A Mexican court has sentenced a former producer of the US television show "Survivor" to 12 years in prison for murdering his wife in Cancun, but prosecutors may seek a harsher sentence.
Bruce Beresford-Redman, 43, was convicted Thursday of killing Monica Burgos, 41, his Brazilian-born wife of 11 years, at a beach resort during a family vacation in April 2010.
Her naked and bruised body was found in a septic tank at the resort, two days after her husband reported her missing during a vacation with their two young children.
In addition to the prison sentence, Beresford-Redman was also ordered to pay 43,000 pesos ($2,800) in compensation.
The chief prosecutor for Quintana Roo state, Gaspar Armando Garcia Torres, said the 12-year sentence was light and that he would review the ruling to decide whether to push for 50 years.
The producer s lawyers said they will appeal the ruling on Friday, saying in a statement that the "the trial was plagued with irregularities" and the sentence was handed down without evidence against Beresford-Redman.
Beresford-Redman became the prime suspect after witnesses reported hearing a loud argument between the couple. They had been married for 11 years.
The producer was forbidden from leaving Mexico but returned to the United States, where he was eventually detained and extradited back to Mexico in 2012.
In the extradition order, a US prosecutor said Beresford-Redman was suspected of killing his wife to cash in on her life insurance, get custody of the children and continue an extramarital affair with a colleague.
US embassy spokesman Mark Johnson said Beresford-Redman has been getting consular assistance since his arrest. The last jail visit by a consular officer was on February 25.
"We will continue to follow this case closely and provide all possible consular assistance," Johnson told AFP.
