Man Convicted Of Killing Ex-Wife

INDIANAPOLIS -- A jury found an Indianapolis man guilty of murder Wednesday in connection with the death of his ex-wife.

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Hear From Victim's Stepfather

The jury deliberated for two hours before reaching the verdict against Steven Halcomb (pictured, left).

Halcomb was convicted of killing his wife, Karen Jo Smith, four years ago.

The case was a challenging one for prosecutors because Smith's body was never found, and no crime scene was established, RTV6 reported.

Smith was last seen alive Dec. 27, 2000, the day she told Halcomb to move out of her Indianapolis home.

The next morning, Smith, 35, and Halcomb were gone and so was Halcomb's car. Smith had left behind her car, her valuables and her two children, Brandon, then 12, and Stephanie, then 8.

Court records state that Halcomb told cell mates he strangled Smith and that he gave his former wife a "one-way ride" out of Indianapolis.

In a recorded jailhouse phone call, records say, Halcomb also told his father "there is no crime scene," and "they're not going to find a thing."

Smith's family attended the trial and was relieved to hear the verdict.

"The word closure, I don't where that comes from. We're devastated by this," Smith's stepfather, Ed Bishop, said. "The only thing that this does, it gets a thorn out of our rear ends that we don't have to worry about anymore.

"We can get back to the most important thing we've got to do, and that's finding my daughter."

Halcomb told reporters he had no comment as he left the courtroom, RTV6's Jeremy Brilliant reported.

Halcomb will be sentenced on Jan. 13. He could face up to 65 years in jail, Brilliant reported.