OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha man who set fire to his family’s home and critically injured his wife has pleaded guilty to two felony charges in the wake of her death.

Carl Bohm, 68, pleaded guilty Wednesday to first-degree arson and attempted first-degree assault as part of an agreement with prosecutors. The Omaha World-Herald reports that he will face up to 70 years in prison when he’s sentenced in February.

Prosecutors considered upgrading the charges against Bohm after his wife, Janet Franks-Bohm, died in October — more than two years after the 2019 fire that also injured the couple’s daughter. A coroner ruled that Franks-Bohm’s death was directly related to the fire. She underwent more than 30 surgeries after the fire to try to repair the damage from extensive third-degree burns.

 

Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said he agreed to the plea deal after meeting with Franks-Bohm’s family. He said family members didn’t want to have to testify at trial and didn’t want the court process to be restarted to add a murder charge.

Kleine said he plans to ask for a sentence long enough to keep Bohm in prison for the rest of his life.