A 49-year-old man convicted of killing his 91-year-old wife in 2011 was sentenced to 50 years in prison on Wednesday, the Washington Post reported.

Originally, prosecutors in D.C. wanted Albrecht Gero Muth to be given a life sentence for fatally beating and strangling Viola Drath, a city socialite and former journalist.

"The facts of this unusual case, particularly when viewed in light of the history of the defendant's violence and other abuse toward Ms. Drath, coupled with his life of lies, fabrications, fraud and deception, uniquely qualify him to spend the rest of his life in prison," prosecutors wrote.

During his trial, Muth's lawyers argued there was no evidence against him in the crime, considering no DNA was collected and there were no eyewitnesses, the Post said.

Muth, who is ill due to a long-term fast following his arrest, did not attend the trial. Instead, he participated through a video call.

According to prosecutors, Drath was victim to years of domestic abuse, citing fractured ribs, bruises, and scratches that accumulated as she tried to protect herself.

The couple married in 1990 though Drath's friends and relatives were wary of Muth, who claimed to lose an eye while fighting in South America and walked the streets of Georgetown in a military uniform -- which he purchased online -- telling people he was an Iraqi general.

When he was arrested, Muth initially told police that Drath died in a fall. He then changed his story, claiming she died as a result of a failed Iranian assassination that was meant to kill him.