DNA Evidence Shows Man Had Sex With Wife After Strangling Her: Report

An Islip Terrace man was indicted on an upgraded charge on Thursday for strangling his wife to death back in June.

Steven Strub, 39, was arrested in August and charged with second degree murder in the death of 40-year-old Rachelle Weeks-Strub.

According to court records, during his court appearance on Thursday, Strub was charged with first degree murder.

If convicted, he faces a life sentence in prison.

In addition, Strub's bail was set to $750,000 cash or $1.5 million bond.

Assistant district attorney Elizabeth Creighton said that the time of the murder the couple were apparently estranged when Strub went to Weeks-Strub's apartment where he "strangled her, dragged her to another room, and had sex with her while she was dead or dying," according to a report in Newsday.

After DNA proved Creighton's claims to be true, charges were upgraded.

However, Strub's attorney Christopher Cassar argued that the couple were still "in love" at the time but living apart to work on their issues with drug addiction and claimed Strub was innocent, Newsday reports.