VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A former U.S. Navy sailor will serve 15 years in prison after he shot and killed his estranged wife’s boyfriend last March.

The Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office says 27-year-old Tyler Lamar Jenkins was sentenced on Monday to 23 years with eight suspended, after pleading guilty to charges of second-degree murder and use of a firearm back in January. This comes as after previous misdemeanor convictions for assault and battery and destruction of property.

Prosecutors say Jenkins was still married to his wife at the time of the murder, but the two had separated in August 2021 and were living in separate bedrooms of their shared apartment. They also had consulted a divorce attorney and were admittedly seeing other people at the time.

The murder happened on March 21 at the apartment in the 4800 block of Crystalline Place, prosecutors say, after Jenkins’ wife C.P. and the victim, Timothy Talley, returned from Navy travel obligations (Jenkins, C.P. and Talley were all in the Navy at the time). C.P. then told Jenkins she was going out that night with friends and would return.

She returned hours later with Talley, and the two started having intercourse, prosecutors say. That’s when Jenkins came in and fired four shots with his pistol, striking Talley three times and killing him.

Jenkins then locked the pistol in his bedroom and tried to leave, but was apprehended on the apartment’s landing by police after C.P. called 911.

Prosecutors said during his interview with police, Jenkins initially asked “What am I supposed to do when someone is sleeping with my wife?”

He then tried to change his story to say he thought his wife was being raped, but came back to the initial question, asking “What am I supposed to do when someone is sleeping with my wife?”