A man who killed his wife in their home and dumped her body in an abandoned house was sentenced to 32 years in state prison, officials announced Tuesday.

Abayuba Rivas, 43, of Elizabeth was sentenced Friday to 25 years for aggravated manslaughter, and seven years for endangering the welfare of a child, because the couple's 2-year-old child was home at the time, according to a release from the Union County Prosecutor's Office.

Rivas killed his wife, Karla Jose Villagra Garzon, 32, on Feb. 23, 2014, and took her body, which he put in a suitcase, to a vacant house in Chatham, where he left it on a mattress in the basement, Union County Assistant Prosecutor Caroline Lawlor said in the release.

He reported her missing the next morning and told police that she went out the night before to buy medicine for their daughter. This started a citywide search for Garzon, which included Rivas conducting media interviews to "plead for assistance from the public before ultimately confessing to police that he killed her," the release stated.

Her body was found in the abandoned home with duct tape binding her hands and covering her mouth and eyes nearly three weeks after Rivas reported her missing.

An autopsy showed that Garzon died from asphyxiation, and blunt-force trauma.

An investigation by the New Jersey State Police, Union County and the Elizabeth Police eventually led to Rivas being identified as a suspect and his ultimate confession and arrest.

Following a trial that lasted over a month, a jury convicted Rivas on charges of aggravated manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a child and desecration of human remains, as well as two weapons offenses and three counts of hindering apprehension. He was not found guilty of murder.

Rivas had his bail revoked following the verdict.

His sentences on the remaining charges will run concurrently to his 32-year-term, prosecutors said.

Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook.