Man convicted in 1973 death of wife in suburban Chicago

ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. (AP) - A 76-year-old man has been convicted in the 1973 killing of his wife in what authorities describe as a staged traffic crash in suburban Chicago.

Donnie Rudd was found guilty of first-degree murder Monday by a Cook County jury. He faces at least 14 years in prison for the death of 19-year-old Noreen Kumeta Rudd a month after they married.

Authorities initially ruled the death accidental. It was classified as a homicide after a 2013 autopsy.

Rudd, an attorney and onetime suburban school board member, was charged with murder in 2015 while living in Sugar Land, Texas.

Prosecutors say Rudd staged the crash so he could collect more than $100,000 in insurance. His attorneys say the woman died in a "tragic accident" and the case lacks solid evidence.