Westminster Man sentenced to 45 Years for killing His Wife

A Westminster man will spend the next 45 years behind bars for killing his wife and hiding her body in an oil drum at their home on Welcome Church Road. Tenth Circuit Solicitor David Wagner announces that 42-year-old Lee Mikeal Cawthon pleaded guilty Monday morning to murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. Wagner said Cawthon shot his wife eight times after learning that she was leaving him for another man. On April 18, 2017, 33-year-old Rebecca Murray Cawthon was reported missing and an investigation was launched by the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office. Cawthon was arrested in May of 2017 after leading deputies to his wife’s remains.