A Florida man who murdered his Vermont girlfriend will spend life in prison.

Shirley Temple, 51, was a Newport native and had recently moved to Florida before the attack in May 2017.

Police say her boyfriend, Richard Strickland, stabbed her 99 times in their Sebring home.

Strickland pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Wednesday, he was sentenced to life in prison.

Temple's son, Deven, says his mother will never be forgotten. "Knowing she fought for her life and died in pain, it kills me inside to know how brutal it really was," he said. "I mean, she never had a bad thing to say about anybody. She always smiled, she always helped anybody in need. She was truly amazing. And I miss her."

Deven, 30, is the oldest of three sons -- the youngest is 18. He says Strickland threatened to stab his mom before and she didn't think he was serious.