Man gets long prison term for wife's murder, kids still missing

DETROIT -- A Detroit man was sentenced to between 45 and 80 years in prison on Tuesday for the slaying of his estranged wife, whose two children remain missing.

Erin Justice pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for killing 27-year-old Alicia Fox. He was given an additional two years for using a firearm during a felony.

Justice "destroyed so many lives," Fox's mother said in a victim impact statement.

"This devil disguised himself as an angel," Travae Fox said. "Came right in our homes and ate from our plates and drank from our glasses."

Justice sat emotionless in the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice and stared ahead as Fox spoke about how she and her family suffered over her daughter's death and the disappearance of the children, the Detroit Free Press reported.

Fox was found fatally shot in an abandoned house in June 2014, a month after she and the children were reported missing. Justice's stepdaughter, Kaylah Hunter, was 6 years old, while the couple's son, Kristian Justice, was 8 months old.

Justice didn't say anything about the children during Tuesday's hearing. The 29-year-old man initially declined the plea deal, but later accepted to avoid going to trial on charges that included first-degree murder.

Justice hasn't been charged in connection with the missing children. The investigation into their disappearance is ongoing and Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Trisha Gerard vowed to "continue to seek justice" for the Fox family.