Former 'Survivor' Producer Sentenced To 12 Years In Mexican Jail For Killing His Wife

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com)  —  An attorney for former "Survivor" producer Bruce Beresford-Redman says his client has been sentenced to 12 years in a Mexican jail for killing his wife.

Beresford-Redman continues to maintain his innocence in the murder of his wife Monica Burgos in Cancun nearly five years ago.

The couple, estranged at the time of her murder, went on the trip in an effort to reconcile.

Beresford-Redman, 44 next month, had been reportedly facing up to 30-50 years behind bars.

Burgos disappeared in Cancun. The former reality show producer insisted his wife left their hotel room on the morning of April 5, 2010 to go shopping.

Monica's family was suspicious from the start. They said their sister would never have gone off and left her two children. Hotel guests also reported hearing the couple arguing in their room on April 4. Several people also said they saw scratches on his hands, arms and on the back of his neck.

Monica's nude body was found on April 8th (eerily enough, the couple's wedding anniversary) hidden in an underground cistern on the grounds of the Moon Palace resort, the property where the couple was staying.

Burgos' official cause of death was listed as asphyxiation.

Beresford-Redman's attorney says they plan an appeal due to the fact his client was convicted on circumstantial evidence. His defenders also say much of the evidence against him was tainted and contaminated.

In November 2014, CBS' "48 Hours" aired a series of Beresford-Redman's prison diaries filmed over a four-month period.  In those interviews/cum diaries, he said not a day goes by that he doesn't "miss and think about my wife."

Beresford-Redman said he was sharing the video diaries to give people a glimpse of what life was like "here in Hell."

He once lived in a $2 million house. These days, Beresford-Redman is reportedly housed in a cell (designed for three) with eight other convicts.

In addition to "Survivor," Beresford-Redman was also co-creator and executive producer of MTV's "Pimp My Ride."

Beresford-Redman's father spoke to KCAL9's Stacey Butler Thursday evening in Torrance.

David Beresford-Redman called the trial and the verdict a farce and insisted his son was innocent. In a handwritten statement he read to KCAL9, he called what was happening to his son "a gross miscarriage of justice."

"Why are they doing this?" David said.

He said his son texted him the news that he'd been convicted.

"He said, 'Verdict is in. 12 years. $43,000 pesos fine.' He said he also already signed the papers that he will appeal," David said.

David charged Mexican authorities with making a string of mistakes in their investigation. David said he wasn't terribly surprised by the guilty verdict.

"It actually comes as something of a relief," he said, "because now we can actually go into the appeals process."

The father told Butler the past four-and-a-half years have been tough on him and his wife as well as the two Beresford-Redman children they are raising.