Columbus man found guilty of murdering wife, setting her body on fire

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A jury in Franklin County found a man guilty of fatally strangling his wife and setting her body on fire in 2021, according to a spokesperson for the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office.

Mamadou Diallo, 43, was convicted Wednesday of murder and aggravated arson, among other charges, related to the killing of his wife Fatoumata Diallo, who was 32 when she died.

In September 2021, firefighters responding to a fire at a home on the 3500 block of Noe Bixby Road found her in the basement. Diallo -- who investigators determined had been inside the home prior to the fire -- was accused of stringing a charging cable around her neck, strangling her, and then setting her body on fire.

Two children were in the home, who were unharmed. Investigators took Diallo into custody, and his bond was set at $5 million on Oct. 2, 2021.

Following the jury verdict, Diallo will be sentenced Wednesday and could face anywhere between 27 years and life in prison. The prosecutor's office "intends to seek the maximum sentence," it said in a statement.