A Ridgecrest man was convicted Wednesday of murdering his wife and then setting their home on fire, according to the Kern County District Attorney's Office.Â
George Richard Smith killed Vicki Smith, who he had been married to for 36 years, as she lay in bed and then set two fires in their home, the DA's office wrote in a news release.Â
Smith was found later that day and arrested after leading police on a chase through a residential Ridgecrest neighborhood while going 80 mph, according to the news release.Â
Smith testified he was drunk and took sleeping medications so he couldn't remember what happened, prosecutors wrote.Â
Jurors convicted him of second-degree murder, arson and recklessly evading a police officer.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 15.
