Arthur Schirmer, a former Pennsylvania pastor, was sentenced to life in prison on March 18 for killing his second wife in 2008.

Schirmer, 64, was convicted of first-degree murder for bludgeoning Betty Schirmer and is also charged for the killing of his first wife Jewel Schirmer in 1999, according to the Associated Press.

Prosecutors said Schirmer clubbed his second wife in the head with a crowbar, then tried to stage a car accident by putting her in the car, according to the AP.

Local police originally believed her death to be a car crash. Schirmer testified that he was driving Betty to the emergency room because she was experiencing jaw pains, then swerved to avoid hitting a deer, which caused the alleged accident.

According to ABC News, he said he didn't stage the accident.

The staged accident was concluded to not have been able to cause Betty's head and brain injuries, and her death lead authorities to further investigate the death of Schirmer's first wife.

The police found Betty Schirmer's blood in the garage and saw that someone tried to clean it. For the case of his first wife's death, he claimed he was out for a run and later found Jewel Schirmer dead in the basement.

Schirmer is awaiting a trial for the first case and has maintained his innocence, the AP reports.