Man admits killing pregnant sister-in-law

BLOOMINGTON -- A central Illinois man has been sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to murdering his pregnant sister-in-law last October.

Jason Marksteiner of LeRoy pleaded guilty in a Bloomington court Wednesday to beating and strangling Jodi McGrew in a relative's home. Police say Marksteiner's wife, who is McGrew's sister, slept in the same room with the couple's three children during the crime. LeRoy is 10 miles southeast of Bloomington.

McGrew, who was 19, was from Hallsville, about 20 miles south of Bloomington.

She was in the second trimester of pregnancy.

Marksteiner also was charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault and intentional homicide of an unborn child. Those charges were dropped as part of a plea deal.