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Man convicted of killing wife who went missing gets life

By: Associated Press//May 27, 2021//

Man convicted of killing wife who went missing gets life

By: Associated Press//May 27, 2021//

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GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin man convicted of killing his wife who went missing in 2013 and whose body has never been found was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison without parole.

James Prokopovitz, 75, was charged in 2019 with murder and three other counts on accusations he killed his wife, Victoria. He was the last person known to have to seen her on April 25, 2013. Her purse, cell phone and ID were all found at her home in Pittsfield, about 15 miles northwest of Green Bay.

Victoria’s daughters, Stacey Deer and Marsha Loritz, begged Prokopovitz Wednesday to come forward and tell the truth about what happened to their mother. Prokopovitz, who did not take the stand at his trial, opted not speak at the sentencing hearing.

Brown County Circuit Court Judge William Atkinson suggested that spending time in prison may convince Prokopovitz to give his family closure and let them know the location of his wife’s body.

“In prison, maybe you can think about that,” the judge said.

Prosecutor Wendy Lemkuil said during the hearing that is has been 2,953 days, or nearly eight years, since Victoria Prokopovitz was last seen by her family. She was 59 at the time.

James Prokopovitz’s attorney, John D’Angelo, said during the trial that the state’s evidence was circumstantial. He called it a missing person case, not a homicide.

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