Wife slowly killed husband by slicing off body parts and then feeding them to family dog

A woman was sentenced to 14 years in prison after being found guilty of a chilling murder that sent shockwaves across the nation.

The body of Horst Hans Henkels was discovered in the home he shared with his wife, Svetlana Batukova in Majorca, Spain, with parts of his remains reportedly consumed by their pet dog.

Batukova, a Russian national who was 46 at the time of the crime, contested her initial sentence, arguing insufficient evidence for conviction.

Local media reported Batukova attributed her husband's death to their dog, a claim refuted by post-mortem findings which revealed Henkels had bled out from multiple stab wounds.

The Spanish court upheld the original sentence, siding with the forensic evidence over Batukova's assertions. She is currently serving her term, reports <a href="https://www.themirror.com/news/world-news/wife-slowly-killed-husband-slicing-1203526" rel="Follow" target="_self">the Mirror US</a>.

The gruesome murder occurred in 2016 at the couple's Sant Llorenç home, where German national Henkels, aged 66, was repeatedly stabbed, with sections of his arms stripped bare.

According to The Majorca Daily Bulletin, the flesh removed from Henkels' arms was eaten by the family's American Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

The prolonged assault took place in the couple's flat, where it is alleged that Henkels was first drugged before succumbing to blood loss on the floor.

Henkels, who had undergone surgery on his trachea shortly before his death, was barely able to speak at the time of the attack and met his end at the hands of his wife who wielded a kitchen knife in the horrific incident.

Police confirmed they had visited the property multiple times in the months prior to the death following reports of domestic abuse.

The pair were thought to have been together for two years before tying the knot, just months before Henkels' tragic demise. Batukova was reportedly under the influence of drugs and alcohol when she was apprehended.

Evidence presented during Batukova's 2020 appeal revealed how she continued to cut her husband's body until he succumbed. She maintained that the couple's dogs were responsible for Henkels' death but her assertions were dismissed by forensic experts who were certain a knife was used in the killing.

Batukova's defence team claimed there were inconsistencies during their client's initial trial and argued there wasn't sufficient evidence to prove she had murdered her husband. These arguments were dismissed by the court which upheld Batukova's original 14-year sentence.

During the preliminary investigation into Henkels' murder, it emerged that his wife had allegedly offered money to a third party to kill her husband but ultimately took matters into her own hands.