Judge upholds ex-Dover airman’s death sentence - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

Judge upholds ex-Dover airman’s death sentence

DOVER, Del. — A Delaware Superior Court judge has upheld the conviction and death sentence of a former Dover Air Force Base sergeant who killed his wife to collect on her life insurance policy.

Gary Ploof was convicted of shooting of his wife, Heidi, as she sat in her car in the parking lot of a Dover Wal-Mart in 2001.

Ploof claimed that his wife committed suicide, but store security cameras captured him at the scene.

Ploof argued a laundry list of issues on appeal, including that his lawyers were ineffective and that there were problems with the selection and conduct of jurors.

But the judge ruled this week that none of Ploof's arguments was sufficient to overturn his conviction and sentence.

Ploof lost a state Supreme Court appeal in 2004.