Dakari Jahi Lenear, 48, was found guilty of shooting his wife of 20 years, Rhonda Lenear, in the 9500 block of Walnut Glen Drive, just north of Jersey Village on May 19, 2021.
According to police, Dakari had a history of threatening his wife, who was his college sweetheart.
ORIGINAL REPORT: Teens left without parents after husband kills wife in NW Harris Co, deputies say
On the day of her murder, police said he sent his children outside and told them to get inside the truck with the music turned up.
The teens, who were being homeschooled due to COVID-19, reported seeing their father in the window with an assault rifle.
Police said Dakari walked into the room where his wife was working and shot her multiple times after telling her that she "needed to pray." Police said Rhonda began recording on her phone once the suspect entered and tried de-escalating the situation. Her last words were her children's names, according to officials.
The couple's teen children called 911. Officers found Dakari in the family's garage and pronounced Rhonda dead at the scene.
Police said Dakari then lied about the shooting, saying his wife was coming at him with a knife, and he shot her in self-defense, which was dispelled by the recording.
Rhonda worked as an engineer and was a "loving, bright, vibrant person who had worked for years to keep her family together," according to District Attorney Kelly Marshall.
According to officials, earlier in September, Dakari pleaded guilty as the jury trial commenced and was sentenced two days later.
Officials said he must serve at least 30 years before becoming eligible for parole.