LOS ANGELES (March 22, 2013)—David Viens, 49, a chef who told police he cooked his slain wife's body in boiling water, was sentenced Friday in Los Angeles to 15 years to life in prison for second-degree murder.

Viens gave a rambling, 45-minute speech during Friday's sentencing hearing in which he said the story he told police about cooking the body was a lie.

He said he was disoriented at the time after surgery for injuries he suffered when he jumped off a cliff.

Viens was convicted in September of killing of Dawn Viens, 39, in 2009.

Her body was never found.

In a recorded interrogation presented at trial, Viens said he cooked her body for four days to get rid of evidence.

Authorities said he leaped off a cliff after learning he was a suspect in her disappearance.