Alabama man sentenced in death of mother

RUSSELLVILLE, Ala. (AP) - A northwest Alabama man is going to prison for killing his mother.

A judge sentenced 47-year-old James Chris Spencer to 35 years in prison during a hearing Tuesday.

The Russellville man pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter in the death of his mother, 65-year-old Jo Spencer.

Police say an autopsy shows the woman was choked, beaten and stabbed before a neighbor found her body in her home last Sept. 5.

Spencer lived with his mother, and records show he had three prior domestic violence charges involving his mother.

Prosecutors say Jo Spencer's family agreed to a plea deal partly to avoid a trial. The man was charged with murder before the plea agreement.