Man Sentenced In Guns 'N' Roses Song Inspired Murder

COSTA MESA, CA —The family of the woman shot to death by a Costa Mesa man in 2012 finally has closure, after her murderer was at last sentenced on Friday.

Thomas Michael Wilhlem, 53, gunned down Christine Marie Murray on July 8, 2012 and was sentenced Friday to 50 years to life in prison for killing his live-in girlfriend and business partner.

According to the Orange County District Attorney's Office, the murder happened just moments after he listened to a Guns 'n' Roses song with the lyrics: "I used to love her but I had to kill her," Orange County Senior Deputy District Attorney Jim Mendelson said.

"It was a romantic relationship that went sour and a parallel business relationship that went sour," Mendelson said of the motive.

Just minutes before she was killed, the 45-year-old victim sent a text message to friends complaining that the defendant was "hammered again" and "singing the oldies at the top of his lungs," Mendelson said.

Wilhelm stole the murder weapon from a neighbor, who provided important testimony in the trial but died of natural causes shortly before the Nov. 9 verdict, according to Mendelson.

The prosecutor said the defendant fired all seven rounds in the pistol, striking the victim six times.

Wilhelm apparently wanted to turn the gun on himself, but he ran out of bullets so he went back to the neighbor's house to steal another weapon, Mendelson said.

Wilhelm was a "functioning alcoholic" who was also abusing prescription painkillers, the prosecutor said. The defendant's sprinkler repair business was failing due to his addictions, Mendelson said.

Murray also had drug addiction issues and was homeless for a time and lost custody of her child, the prosecutor said. She eventually sobered up, regained custody of her then-8-year-old son and was helping Wilhelm salvage his business, Mendelson said.

The two were still living together in the same home but were splitting up at the time of the shooting, Mendelson said. The defendant was angry that his ex-girlfriend had taken over his business and he wanted to regain control, the prosecutor said.

Defense attorney Doug Myers, in arguing for a lesser degree of culpability, said the defendant had a diminished capacity stemming from alcohol and drug abuse.

At the sentencing, the victim's oldest son wrote on his mother's behalf.

He stated in part, “One of the most devastating feelings I’ve ever felt in my life, is when you forget, just for a minute that she’s gone, and you pick up the phone to call them and remember in that instant. I still struggle every day not to let it get me down. I still have break downs. I still stumble and fall without her in my life. I still miss her. I still wish I could get home and tell her about my day. I lost a piece of the person that I am. I can do my best to hold the rest of the pieces together, but I can never be the same person I was before.”

City News Service contributed to this report. OCDA photo.