Nancy Jean Siegel, 61, was convicted in March of second-degree murder, witness tampering, theft of government benefits, identity theft

Nancy Jean Siegel, 61, was convicted in March of second-degree murder, witness tampering, theft of government benefits, identity theft and other charges of fraud, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Rod Rosenstein.<br />U.S. District Judge Andre M. Davis sentenced Siegel to 400 months in prison Thursday, according to Rosenstein. Thomas Saunders, Siegel's attorney declined to comment on the sentence.Siegel was convicted of killing Jasper Frederick Watkins, a Reisterstown man who prosecutors said was nearly 30 years older than Siegel and who moved into her Ellicott City home sometime after the two met and began a relationship in 1994.Within months of meeting Watkins, Siegel began using his bank and credit accounts, making extensive charges for clothing, jewelry and larger purchases, according to Rosenstein. She also obtained credit using Watkins personal information. By August 1995, Siegel had racked up tens of thousands of dollars of credit card debt and had an outstanding loan for a BMW for more than $40,000, according to Rosenstein.Siegel then persauded Watkins to obtain a $44,000 mortgage on his house in Reisterstown to pay off the balance on 13 credit cards, according to prosecutors. She later persuaded Watkins to take out another $20,000 mortgage, promising to marry him and use the money to buy a condo for them to live in, prosecutors said.She never bought the condo and used the money for her own expenses, according to Rosenstein. Siegel sold Watkins' house in April 1996 and began taking steps to have him wrongfully committed for psychiatric care, while pawning his personal assets, according to Rosenstein.<br />Autopsy reports indicate that Watkins died sometime around May 13, 1996, and found blunt force trauma to the back of his head and toxic levels of a sedative in his body, according to Rosenstein.<br />Watkins' body was found near trash at an access point to the Appalachian Trail in Virginia.For seven years after Watkins' death, Siegel diverted Watkins' Social Security and retirement annuity payments for her own use, according to Rosenstein.Siegel is being held by federal authorities, who declined to disclose her location.

Nancy Jean Siegel, 61, was convicted in March of second-degree murder, witness tampering, theft of government benefits, identity theft

Nancy Jean Siegel, 61, was convicted in March of second-degree murder, witness tampering, theft of government benefits, identity theft and o...

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