ANCHORAGE - A man was sentenced Friday for trying to kill his wife in front of their children.
A judge sentenced 54-year-old Frank Manivong to 17 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to attempted murder and assault with a weapon.
Frank Manivong was charged with attempted murder and assault after shooting his wife Vilaykhone Manivong at their Mountain View apartment last March.
Police responded to a shooting around 5:15 a.m. on March 4, 2013, and found Vilaykhone Manivong lying in a bedroom, charging documents say. She had gunshot wounds on her right forearm, chest and near her neck.
James Soukkaseum, a neighbor interviewed by detectives, said Frank Manivong called him saying he wanted Soukkaseum to come over and watch his children because he would be going to jail after shooting his wife, charging documents say.
Soukkaseum tried to pry the rifle from Frank Manivong’s hands, but at least one shot was fired. Soukkaseum was then able to wrestle the rifle away from Frank Manivong, unload it and call 911. Vilaykhone Manivong was transported to a local hospital and survived the attack.
Frank Manivong said he hadn’t gotten along with his wife for years because she was disrespectful, court documents say. When he came home in the morning, he said she started yelling at him for being out all night.
She wouldn’t stop yelling and felt he had no choice but to shoot her, he said.
Their two young children told investigators they were woken up by their parents’ arguing and both said they saw their father shoot their mother.