Man Pleads Guilty to Killing His Wife

Making a deal to avoid the death penalty, ex-Army paratrooper Guy Dean Bouck pleaded guilty to murdering his wife in Canyon Country. The plea came a decade after her death--and three years after a probate judge ruled that he committed the crime.

The agreement means Bouck faces a maximum of life in prison without the possibility of parole, rather than execution, prosecutors said Tuesday.

The case was unusual in many respects, including a finding in civil court that Bouck was liable long before he was charged criminally.

In much the same way O.J. Simpson was found responsible in civil court for the death of his ex-wife, Bouck’s bid to inherit his wife’s estate was blocked by her brother, who was unhappy that the crime had not been solved.

In 1995, a year after that case concluded, Bouck’s alibi witness recanted her story and he was charged with murder with special circumstances by the county grand jury.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys declined to comment Tuesday on Bouck’s plea, which he entered late Monday in Van Nuys.

Both sides are due back in court Dec. 1 before Superior Court L. Jeffrey Wiatt for a trial on the four special circumstances allegations against Bouck. At that time, jurors will decide on the sentence.