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MAHASKA COUTY, IOWA -- A southeast Iowa man convicted of killing his mother's lover with a battle axe will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Judge Lucy Gamon issued the sentence to Bradley Arterburn, 27, in Mahaska County Court on Monday.
    
The Oskaloosa man was convicted in October of first-degree murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence in Iowa.
    
Arterburn was arrested in July 2011 after police found Robert Henry Horovitz, 58, of Davenport, inside a residence on Fourth Street in Oskaloosa suffering from multiple injuries from a weapon later described by police as a medieval-style battle axe.
    
When Arterburn was arrested a short time later, he was suffering from self-inflicted injuries.
    
At his trial, Arterburn claimed that childhood sexual abuse and the resulting trauma caused him to commit the murder.


Previous stories...

Osky axe trial delayed  -  Tuesday, July 24, 2012 
Bradley Arterburn's trial is now scheduled  for September.

Accused battle-ax murderer may seek insanity plea  -  Saturday, September 17, 2011 
Bradley Arterburn's lawyers may seek a insanity or diminished capacity plea after he was accused of murdering a Davenport man earlier this year.

Osky man charged with murder  -  Tuesday, June 21, 2011 
The Oskaloosa Police Department says it has filed First Degree murder charges against Bradley William Arterburn, 25.