AMES (AP) - A former Eldora man has been convicted of killing his estranged wife.

Jess Espinoza Cuevas was found guilty of first-degree murder by a Story County jury on Monday. His trial was moved from Hardin County because of publicity about the case.

Prosecutors argued that Cuevas killed his wife Brenda in October 2005 and set her Eldora home on fire. Authorities arrested Cuevas in August 2006 at his home in Des Moines.

Court records indicate Brenda and Jess Cuevas were in the midst of a divorce and custody battle when she was killed.

In Iowa, a first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory term of life in prison. A sentencing date wasn't immediately available.