D’Iberville man pleads guilty to killing his wife, sentenced to 30 years in prison

Troy Roberts
Troy Roberts
Troy Roberts

BILOXI, Mississippi (AP) — A south Mississippi man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the 2011 slaying of his wife, who was a Navy petty officer at the Seabee Readiness Group in Gulfport.

Troy Roberts appeared in court Tuesday and pleaded guilty to murder. Harrison County Circuit Judge Lisa P. Dodson handed down the sentence.

WLOX-TV reports that Roberts admitted killing his wife, 44-year-old Philomena Roberts, at their home in D’Iberville. She died of a single gunshot wound to the chest.

Troy Roberts called 911 on June 1, 2011, the day his wife died. He was charged weeks later.

During his plea hearing Tuesday, 43-year-old Troy Roberts told authorities he tossed the gun in the woods near D’Iberville Elementary School. Officers searched for the weapon but didn’t find it.