COEUR D'ALENE -- A Rathdrum, Idaho man pleaded guilty Wednesday morning to voluntary manslaughter in the strangling death of his wife.

Despite the guilty plea, 46-year-old William Brinnon says he doesn't remember what happened the night of the crime. The charge carries a maximum of 15 years in prison.

Devon Haskins, KREM 2 News

William Brinnon walks out of court after pleading guilty.

Brinnon spent several days in the hospital following the crime, after he shot himself in the head.

The couple's son found 43-year-old Dana Brinnon dead in the family's living room. However, when police arrived, the woman's body was outside. Detectives assume William was in the process of moving her body.

The family had a history of domestic violence. However, in previous cases, Dana Brinnon was the aggressor.

William Brinnon was arrested in 1997 for domestic battery. He was the defendant in a protection order in January 1997.

Dana Brinnon was arrested in 1995 and 2004 for domestic battery. She had been the defendant in protection orders filed by William Brinnon in 1995, 1998, 2006 and March 12, 2008.