A retired Los Angeles police detective has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in Hawaii for the 2006 beating death of his wife.

The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday that Judge Ronald Ibarra said during sentencing that 59-year-old Dan DeJarnette had done the opposite in killing his wife from what earned him a commendable career in law enforcement.

In November 2006, DeJarnette told police he woke to find his 56-year-old wife, Yu DeJarnette, lying on a lava embankment near their Big Island home. She was pronounced dead from head trauma at a hospital.

An autopsy later revealed she had two gaping wounds from a tire iron.

DeJarnette pleaded guilty in March to manslaughter while under extreme emotional distress.

DeJarnette moved to Hawaii after his 2003 LAPD retirement.