Florida husband sentenced in brutal killing of wife inside Altamonte Springs apartment

A Florida husband accused of stabbing his wife to death inside their Altamonte Springs apartment in June 2022 – and who admitted to playing her favorite music as she died in a bathtub – was found guilty on Tuesday and sentenced to four decades in state prison.

Xichen Yang, 23, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and tampering with evidence in the death of his wife and was sentenced to 40 years in state prison, according to the Florida State Attorney's 18th Judicial Circuit. Yang reportedly agreed to a plea deal if prosecutors reduced the charge from first-degree to second-degree.

The family of Nhu Quynh Pham, Yang's wife, agreed to the negotiated plea, according to the State Attorney's Office.

Altamonte Springs police responded to the couple's apartment complex in June 2022 and found Pham dead inside the bathroom. According to the arrest affidavit, Yang reportedly stabbed his wife with a knife after the two got into an argument.

Yang reportedly told officers that he moved his wife to the bathtub, held her hand, and played her favorite music until she died, which took about 10 minutes, according to the arrest report.