British millionaire convicted of murdering wife

A British millionaire architect whose wife had been missing after trying to divorce from him was convicted of her manslaughter, although her body has not been found yet.

The jury at the Old Bailey found Michael Morton, 67, guilty of the manslaughter of Gracia Morton, 40, who went missing eight years ago. But the jury found Morton not guilty of murdering his Argentine wife, and Judge Jeremy Roberts sentenced him to seven years in prison. Morton denied murder.

Gracia Morton disappeared after visiting her estranged husband's west London home to discuss schooling arrangements for their 4-year-old daughter. Michael Morton reported her missing but CCTV pictures discovered six years later showed him using keys to enter his wife's new home, even though friends had described her as "obsessive" about not telling him where she lived.

Police searched extensively for the ex-violinist's body, but never found it. Officers have said they believe that Michael Morton, who has a professional knowledge of building work, may have disposed of her corpse locally, the AP reports.