Confessed Wawa Wife Killer Gets Life in Prison

Judge also rules for $10M in restitution payments

The Chester County husband who police say told them "I just killed my wife" after he stabbed his estranged wife to death outside the Wawa where she worked will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

On Monday, a Chester County judge sentenced James (Jim) Hvizda, 45, of Chester Springs, Pa. to life in prison without the chance for parole for the first-degree murder of Kimberly (Kim) Hvizda on March 25.

Hvizda read a statement saying he would not contest the first-degree murder conviction, according to the Daily Local.

Judge James MacElree II last week denied Hvizda's bid to withdraw his guilty plea. In addition to the mandatory life term, he sentenced Hvizda to one to two years for possession of an instrument of crime.

Besides the life sentence, Judge MacElree also hit Hvizda with a civil verdict of restitution up to $10,000,000 to go to his children, Kim's family, funeral costs and prosecution costs, according to court records.

After Hvizda's arrest, authorities called the killing a "cold-blooded" act.

"This was a cold-blooded, pre-planned killing," said Chester County District Attorney Thomas Hogan. "The defendant executed his wife, the mother of his four children, with casual efficiency. Those four children are now left without a mother..."

Hvizda had planned to kill his wife and bought the weapon used for the crime just days before the killing, prosecutors said at Hvizda's preliminary hearing.

According to a criminal complaint, Hvizda met his wife at the Wawa on Tioconderoga Boulevard in Upper Uwchlan Township where she worked. The two began a conversation in front of the store.

He told police that he had recently purchased a knife and had kept a journal since March 17 about his intentions to kill his wife, according to the criminal complaint.

Prosecutors say the couple eventually walked over to Kim's van where she planned to give Hvizda a pair of letters that were the reason for the meeting. At that time police say Hvizda pulled a knife and stabbed her multiple times.

A co-worker found Kim's body in the parking lot of the store. She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to investigators.

According to the criminal complaint, Hvizda rang the doorbell at the Upper Uwchlan Township Police Department at 11:10 p.m. on March 25. This was the conversation between Hvizda and Cpl. Joseph Carr, who was on duty:

Carr: “How can I help you?”
Hvizda: “I just killed my wife.”
Carr: “What?”
Hvizda: “I just killed my wife.”
Carr: “Where?”
Hvizda: “At your Wawa.”
Carr: “Is she alive?”
Hvizda: “No she is dead.”
Carr: “How did you kill her?”
Hvizda: “With a knife.”

Kim+Hvizda+was+stabbed+to+death+outside+of+the+Wawa+store+where+she+worked.+Her+estranged+husband+Jim+is+accused+in+the+murder.

Hvizda told police that he stabbed his wife in the stomach and pressed the knife to her throat, according to the criminal complaint.

Kim had a protection from abuse order against her husband that was issued last November and was to remain active until November 2014, according to authorities.

Police said that they knew Hvizda from previous domestic incidents. He also has a recent history of traffic violations, according to court records.


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