Jarka trial: Murrieta man sentenced to life in prison without parole for murder of wife

Posted By jose.arballo On November 6, 2009 @ 10:16 am In Courts, Crime, Local News, News | 34 Comments

Kelle Lee Jarka

A Murrieta man convicted of murdering his longtime wife and making the killing look like it was done by an intruder will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole, a judge ruled Friday.

Kelle Lee Jarka, 41 at the time of his trial, showed no reaction as Judge Timothy Freer confirmed the sentence indicated by Jarka’s conviction for first-degree murder. A jury deliberated about two hours in September before deciding Jarka murdered his wife, Isabelle, and that the killing was for financial gain, a finding that made him ineligible for parole.

Jarka showed no reaction as Judge Freer sentenced him to the maximum penalty. He called Jarka “evil” and said the evidence was overwhelming.

The sentence followed statements from Jarka’s brother-in-law and those of Isabelle’s family. Jarka continued to deny his guilt and told the judge he misses his wife.

He told the judge that one day he will be exonerated.

Prosecutors successfully argued Jarka, who was having financial problems, wanted to collect $1.3 million in life insurance on a policy he had taken out on his wife of nearly 20 years. The prosecutor described Jarka as a man so enamored with his upper-middle-class lifestyle and position within his congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, that he was willing to sacrifice the life of his loving wife to maintain it.

Defense attorney Erin Kirkpatrick told jurors Kelle Jarka was a peaceful man and a loving husband who did not kill his wife. Kirkpatrick said the Jarka’s finances were unstable, but their fiscal picture was not dire. Despite the best efforts of Murrieta police, she said, there was no physical evidence linking her client to Isabelle’s brutal death.

Isabelle Jarka suffered almost a dozen blows to her head with a blunt object resulting in a fracture to her skull and injuries to her brain, Dr. Joseph Cohen testified.

Hear statements from Jarka and the judge later to come on SWRNN.