A man from Illinois has been found guilty of murdering his wife in what prosecutors described as a “brutal” act, alleging that he discovered text messages on her phone from another man and subsequently beat the 35-year-old woman to death while they were resting in their bedroom.

Alan Wang, aged 61, from Naperville, argued during his trial that his intention was merely to wake his wife, Hongyan Yang, when he inflicted the fatal kicks in March 2020 at their residence, according to local authorities.

DuPage County Judge Ann Celine O’Hallaren Walsh, however, wasn’t buying it and found Wang guilty of first-degree murder this week.

At the time of the incident, reports from the Chicago Sun-Times indicated that Wang had continuously kicked Yang’s legs, resulting in “deep soft tissue hemorrhaging” that ultimately led to her death, based on statements from prosecutors.

Initially, Wang faced one charge of aggravated domestic battery following Yang’s death, but the charges were elevated when an autopsy revealed that Yang died from blunt force trauma inflicted during an assault.

The DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday that Wang was convicted after a four-day trial.

At about 4:50 p.m. on March 8, 2020, the Naperville Police and Fire Departments responded to a report from the couple’s home concerning a woman who was not breathing, according to a press release from the office.

“Following an investigation conducted by the Naperville Police Department into Yang’s death, authorities learned that in the evening hours of March 7, 2020, Wang and his wife were in their bedroom and when Wang found texts on her phone from another man, he kicked his wife multiple times,” prosecutors explained. “The following day, a relative of the couple called 911 when it appeared that the victim stopped breathing.”

Wang’s next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 12, when he’s slated to appear for post-trial motions, the state’s attorney’s office says.

“Judge O’Hallaren Walsh’s guilty verdict ensures that Mr. Wang will be held responsible for the brutal murder of his wife,” the office concluded. “To Hongyan’s surviving family and friends, I offer my sincerest condolences on their loss and wish them strength as they continue their lives without the love and support she once provided.”