A former Baptist missionary serving 80 years in prison for killing his wife has had parental rights revoked.
The Journal Star reports 39-year-old Nathan Luethold argued it was in his three kids' best interest that he legally remain their parent.
A Peoria County judge put the children under the guardianship of their maternal grandparents, who have been taking care of them since Luethold was arrested.
Prosecutors say Luethold shot his wife in her parents' home on Valentine's Day 2013 so he could be with a 21-year-old exchange student from Lithuania whom the couple was sponsoring.
Luethold denied the allegations, and his attorney said someone broke into the home. But detectives testified that it looked too neat for a home that was just burglarized.
Luethold was convicted in July and sentenced in September.
