DONALDSONVILLE - A man convicted of killing his wife in Ascension Parish more than 5 years ago has been sentenced Thursday.

District Attorney Ricky Babin announced that Jaris Howard, 36, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for murdering his wife at their Donaldsonville home. 

The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office said deputies arrived at the residence July 21, 2014 to find 27-year-old Shella "Shay" Thomas Howard dead from multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators said she was shot to death while getting dressed in the bathroom.

Officials also confirmed the couple's child was inside the house at the time of the killing. Jaris took the child and drove to a relative's house after the shooting.

He was later found at his mother's home and taken into custody, at which time he admitted to killing his wife, the district attorney's office said. 

Documents show the law enforcement had responded to a domestic dispute at the home earlier that year and the two were going through a separation.

Originally booked for second-degree murder, a jury found him guilty of manslaughter. Judge Alvis Turner Jr. sentenced him to 40 years with credit for time served, the maximum sentence for manslaughter.