A woman who killed her husband finally got the chance Thursday to confess her crime.

An emotional Robin Sands, 36, stood before Circuit Court Judge Dan Kellogg and accepted the felony charges of second-degree murder and armed criminal action.

Mrs. Sands attorney, Susan Rinne, stood beside her client and kept a hand on Mrs. Sands’ shoulder as her voice quavered and tears streamed down her face. Mr. Kellogg warned Mrs. Sands guilty pleas could result in a maximum sentence of life in prison for each charge, but she continued with her guilty plea.

Mrs. Sands told Mr. Kellogg that she knowingly caused the death of Randal Sands, her husband, when she shot him with a shotgun while he slept on Aug. 8. Court records showed that Mrs. Sands called the St. Joseph Police Department at about 6 a.m. Aug. 8 and told officers when they arrived that she had shot her husband.

During her initial court appearance, Ms. Sands asked to be allowed to plead guilty, but Judge Keith Marquart denied that, saying Mrs. Sands required legal representation.

Mr. Kellogg accepted Thursday’s guilty plea and ordered a pre-sentence investigation. He scheduled the sentencing for 2 p.m.

Nov. 26.

Marshall White can be reached at marshall@npgco.com.