Before He Murdered Pregnant Wife, Mo. Man Made Pros and Cons List About Leaving Her

Prior to her murder, Jennifer Rothwell searched on Google for "what to do if your husband is upset you are pregnant," according to search warrants previously obtained by PEOPLE

Jennifer Rothwell, at left, and Beau Rothwell. Photo: Facebook; St. Louis County Police Department/AP/Shutterstock

Just a few months before killing his six-weeks-pregnant wife Jennifer, Beau Rothwell compiled a list of the apparent pros and cons of ending the couple's marriage.

The list was discovered in a notebook found at Rothwell's workplace by his boss, which was introduced as evidence at the trial that ended last week with the Missouri man's conviction.

On the plus side of leaving the marriage, Rothwell wrote, "nicer," "proven mother," "better sex life," "more respect" and "fresh start," among other items.

On the negative side of leaving his wife, Rothwell wrote, "Jennifer and her family," "have to move," "half my assets/money," "possibly get another job" and "my family disappointment," among other items.

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Elsewhere on the list, reports FOX2Now, the suburban St. Louis man wrote, "Is the cost too high?" The list was dated 7/31/2019 and discovered in one of Rothwell's notebooks by his work supervisor, who was preparing to take over a project from Rothwell.

Jennifer, 28, died on Nov. 11, 2019, after the couple engaged in an argument over an affair that her husband was having, Rothwell admitted on the stand.

When he refused to reveal the identify of the other woman, Rothwell said the argument turned violent. He testified that his wife told him to keep his "mystery bitch," and then alleged that the baby she was carrying was not his, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. (A paternity test later confirmed Beau Rothwell as the father.)

Rothwell, 31, said he went into a "red haze" and hit Jennifer in the head with a mallet. As she stumbled towards the garage door, he said he followed her.

"In the heat of everything, I hit her again," Rothwell testified, according to the Post-Dispatch. "I believe I cracked her skull, she fell unconscious and fell down the stairs."

He said he did not plan to kill his wife, but afterward he dumped her naked body in the woods about an hour away from their home and then cleaned the house with bleach and discarded evidence in a dumpster near the highway.

He then reported Jennifer missing. He was arrested after police who searched the home found blood- and bleach-soaked carpeting, and he led police to her body.

Earlier, Jennifer had used her phone to search Google for "what to do if your husband is upset you are pregnant," search warrants previously obtained by PEOPLE confirmed.

Embracing the accidental death theory, Rothwell's defense team had asked jurors to acquit him of first-degree murder, but find him guilty only of abandoning her corpse, evidence tampering and voluntary manslaughter. But the jury sided with prosecutors.

He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole when he is sentenced in July.