Man sentenced for hammer killing of girlfriend near LA

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Southern California man who killed his girlfriend with a hammer and buried her body in his backyard has been sentenced to 26 years to life in state prison.

A jury last year found Jackie Jerome Rogers of Lennox guilty of one count of first-degree murder in the death of 36-year-old Lisa Marie Naegle.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office says the 36-year-old Lennox was sentenced Monday.

Investigators said he beat Naegle at least eight times with a hammer as they sat in his car in December 2016. Officials say he took her back to his home and hit her again to make sure she was dead, before burying her body.