Charlene Mess, a 49-year-old wife who lived on a farm in rural Attica, New York, was arrested last year on charges that she killed her 52-year-old husband Doug by stabbing him with a pitchfork and then finishing him off in horrifying, cold-blooded fashion by shooting him in the back of the head as he lay out cold and helpless on the ground.

Farmer’s wife, Charlene Mess, battered husband with pitchfork and buried him in a pile of… https://t.co/E3t7IEKCk9 pic.twitter.com/0b4ioIVhLy — Ksley8 (@KonnieMoments1) June 27, 2016

Last Thursday, the killer spouse — who copped a plea earlier this year to a manslaughter charge — learned exactly how long she’ll be locked up behind bars, when a judge in Wyoming County, New York, slapped her with a 25-year sentence.

As if the brutal murder of her husband wasn’t sickening enough, according to a statement by District Attorney Donald O’Geen reported in The Batavian newspaper, what she did next made the crime even more twisted.

Charlene Mess attached her husband’s body to the back of a tractor and dragged him across their farm, where she buried him under a giant pile of feces three feet deep — manure used as fertilizer on the farm.

The following video shows the sentencing hearing for Charlene Mess on Thursday, June 23.

“Charlene Mess struck Doug three times in the chest with a pitchfork. All of his injuries were incurred while he was alive. She wasn’t in any danger. After he was knocked unconscious, she went to the house, got her gun, put bullets in the gun, went back out into the barn, placed the gun to the back of Doug’s head and shot him,” O’Geen recounted in court at the sentencing hearing.

“She then bound his hands and tied his feet together, she dragged him out of the barn with one of their tractors,” the District Attorney described. “She then moved the body with a skidster to the manure pile and buried him. She knew that manure would decompose a body quick. She wanted him to decompose quick so no one would find him. After burying him, she continued on with her chores.”

Charlene and Douglas Mess had been married for 30 years. They had three children. The wife’s 25-year sentence imposed by Judge Michael Mohun was the maximum allowed for a manslaughter conviction. She must serve at least 21-and-a-half years of the sentence before she is eligible for release.

Charlene Mess appears for sentencing for killing husband, Doug, and burying him in pile of manure @News_8 pic.twitter.com/GK2EDlRYX3 — Amy Young (@AMY_amyyoung) June 23, 2016

But, after her arrest in April of 2015, Charlene Mess attempted to avoid prison altogether, claiming that she was suffering from mental illness and was therefore not fit to stand trial for the brutal slaying. But, a judge wasn’t buying it, and eventually ruled that she was competent.

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At that point, on April 28 of this year, she agreed to plead guilty to manslaughter, even though she had initially been charged with second degree murder and a variety of related charges including assault with a deadly weapon and evidence tampering.

“We have been convinced for months that the defendant was faking or maligning her so-called incompetency as a delay tactic to avoid taking responsibility,” O’Geen told WIVB-TV News.

But, why did she do it? Why kill her husband of three decades and the father of her children? According to the District Attorney, she loved her animals more than she loved her husband.

“She definitely loved her animals, so much so that she killed her husband,” O’Geen said. “Shortly before his death, Doug was looking into filing for divorce. He was sick of her alcoholism, her abuse, her lack of help on the farm. The divorce would have caused her to lose her animals and she couldn’t take that.”

Charlene Mess reportedly showed no emotion at her sentencing last week, and has never expressed remorse for the gruesome murder of her husband, Doug.

[Featured Photo via Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office]