Man Gets Life Without Parole For 2016 Murder Of Ex-Wife

BIRMINGHAM, AL - Demetrius Luther Wilbert was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the 2016 murder of his ex-wife, 31-year-old Nicole Wallace, a mother of two. Wallace was stabbed, beaten in the head and strangled before her body was found in her burning car on October of 2016.

A report by Alabama Media Group said Wilbert was sentenced to life without parole under the state's Habitual Offender Act because he has three prior felony convictions. He pleaded guilty in 2004 to drug distribution and received a 15-year suspended sentence; in 2005 he pleaded guilty to felony burglary and was sentenced to 15 years in prison; and in 2010, he was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and received a five-year prison sentence.

Wallace's body was discovered in her torched red Camaro behind a vacant home in Wylam. After obtaining a search warrant for Wallace's home, authorities said evidence found in the home indicated Wallace was killed there. Birmingham police said they had responded to prior domestic incidents at Wallace's Michigan Avenue home, and neighbors said there have been recent arguments. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Patch morning newsletter.)

Wallace and Wilbert married in 2011, but Wallace filed for divorce in March 2016. The divorce was finalized by a default judgement on Sept. 14, 2016 court records show. The couple shared a 4-year-old son.

Photo via Jefferson County Jail