Virginia Lawyers Weekly VA Lawyers Weekly
(AP) A former Richmond-area doctor convicted of murder in the death of his girlfriend, whose body has not been found, has been sentenced to 50 years in prison.
Judge David E. Johnson handed down a jury’s recommended punishment for Dr. John E. Gibbs III on March 12, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.
Gibbs’ attorneys said he maintains his innocence and plans to appeal.
The jury found Gibbs guilty in Zulma Pabon’s death following an eight-day trial in December. Pabon, a nurse, went missing in 2014.
Prosecutors presented evidence including cellphone records, web searches, store purchases of drain cleaner and acid, and surveillance photo images.
According to the newspaper, the verdict marked the second time in less than two years that Chesterfield authorities won a conviction in a rare “no body” homicide case.
