Bloomington man pleads guilty to fatally stabbing wife

MINNEAPOLIS -- A suburban Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing his wife earlier this month.

The Hennepin County Attorney's office says 56-year-old John Lawler of Bloomington pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last week.

Lawler faces up to 30 1/2 years in prison when he is sentenced Oct. 4.

According to a criminal complaint, Lawler and his 47-year-old wife, Darla King, returned their town home on the evening of Aug. 4 and King told her son they weren't getting along. The complaint says the son heard shouting later that night and found his mother covered in blood in the kitchen with Lawler on top of her.

An autopsy found King had been stabbed four times on her left front, side and back. She also had defensive wounds to her hands.