Man gets life in prison for killing pregnant woman

A Saskatchewan judge has sentenced a man to life in prison for killing a pregnant Prince Albert woman.

Stephen Lindsay Schutte pleaded guilty Monday to the second-degree murder of Antoinette RuthDaniels in July 2004. Under his sentence,the 31-year-old father of twowon't be eligible for parole for 10 years.

Daniels was last seen getting into a truck in the city on July 13, 2004. Her body was found floatingin the North Saskatchewan River nine days later.

Daniels, a 26-year-old mother of two,was six or seven months pregnant when she was murdered.

According to court testimony and comments made by Crown prosecutor John Field, Schutte picked up Daniels tohave sex with her for money.According to statements from Schutte,he had been drinking, he accused Daniels of stealing money from himandhe killed her.

"It appears there was no murder weapon other than his hands," Field told CBC.

Schutte attempted to dispose of the body by burning it, and when that didn't work, hedumped it in the river, court heard.

Daniels'smother, Bernice Krauss, heartbroken over the death of her daughter, gave an impact statement to the court on Monday that said she will never recover from the loss.

She said she received a brief phone call from her daughter the day she disappeared. Her daughter said "Mom," and then the phone went dead,Krauss said.

Court heard Schutte turned himself in to police and confessed. He had been remanded in custody since April 2005.

Peter Abrametz, Schutte's lawyer, said his clientapologized andhe hoped that byadmitting his guilt and accepting his sentence, it would give the family closure.