INDIANA, Pa. -- A former state trooper was called "reprehensible" by an Indiana County judge who sentenced him to life in prison Monday for the slashing death of his live-in girlfriend's husband.

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Kevin Foley, 43, was convicted by a jury in March of first-degree murder for the death of Blairsville dentist Dr. John Yelenic. The slaying happened while Foley was still an active member of the force.

"It's never, never pleasant if one of our own goes down the wrong path," Pennsylvania State Troopers Association president Bruce Edwards said outside the courthouse. "We, like everyone else, are human beings. Human beings first."

Judge William Martin formally imposed Foley's automatic sentence at the county courthouse, saying he believed the crime was motivated by "greed" and calling the jury's verdict "just."

WTAE Channel 4's news exchange partners at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that Martin told Foley, "It would be reprehensible for any human being to commit this crime, but the fact you are a Pennsylvania state policeman is incomprehensible."

"It's been absolutely horrendous," Yelenic's friend, Maria Tacelosky, said outside the courthouse. "I've taught my children to always respect the state police and go to them for help, and now they fear them."

Foley did not speak during his sentencing.

"I got a chance to look Kevin in the eye today, and I just can't believe he's not man enough yet to tell us what happened," Yelenic's cousin, Mary Ann Clark, said outside the courtroom. "He's going where he's going, so who's he protecting now?"

At the trial, Foley testified on his behalf and denied killing Yelenic.

"In view of the overwhelming publicity here, we always thought it was next to impossible to get a fair trial here," said defense attorney Richard Galloway, who promised an appeal.

Yelenic was found dead in a pool of blood at his house on April 13, 2006 -- one day before he was to sign divorce papers from his wife, Michele, who was living with Foley.

The marriage split was so acrimonious that Yelenic's attorney tried unsuccessfully to get a divorce decree issued after his death.

During the trial, Dr. Cyril Wecht testified that Yelenic's throat had been slashed from ear to ear and that his head had nearly been severed and was likely smashed through a window pane in the front door during a struggle.

The victim's family has filed a $1 million wrongful death lawsuit against Foley. Michele Yelenic is named in the suit, as are several of Foley's former colleagues, who the suit claims hindered the investigation into the dentist's death.

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