KUALA LUMPUR: An American man was sentenced to death by hanging here today for murdering his ex-wife, but his lawyer said he was acting in self-defence and would appeal.
Gerald Wayne Mickelson, 63, was convicted of strangling Guilda Mickelson in Kuala Lumpur in November 2016, his lawyer KA Ramu said.
Mickelson, who had been working as a telecommunications consultant in Malaysia, was about to move to the Philippines to be with his new wife when his former partner called him.
When Mickelson went to see her in a serviced apartment complex, the 62-year-old allegedly tried to kill him, resulting in a struggle that ended in her death, Ramu said.
The lawyer said Mickelson had no motive to murder his ex-wife and even called the management of the building after the incident, rather than fleeing.
An appeal is expected to be filed within the next two weeks.