A jury in western New York convicted a Muslim television executive on Monday of beheading his wife in 2009.

Muzzammil "Mo" Hassan, who never denied killing his spouse, was found guilty of second-degree murder after one hour of deliberation.

The 40-year-old is the founder of Bridges TV, a television station in Buffalo that was established to counter negative stereotypes of Muslims.

Hassan, who served as his own lawyer, claimed he was justified in killing his wife since he was a long-time victim of domestic abuse - an argument jurors ultimately rejected.

"Think of Aasiya's hurt and pain in years of marriage and the final 30 or 40 seconds, trying desperately to fend off his two knives with her hands and possibly being conscious as he began to behead her," prosecutor Colleen Curtin Gablesaid during a closing statement.

The Pakistan-born Muslim had been served divorce papers one week before police found the body of his wife, Aasiya Hassan, at the tv station.  She was stabbed more than 40 times and decapitated, prompting speculation her death was an honor killing.

"He separated the mind, which he saw as worthless, and kicked it," said attorney Nadia Shahram, who lectures on the effects of religion and culture on family law at the University at Buffalo.
 
Hassan faces up to 25 years to life in prison for the murder.  He will be sentenced by a judge March 9.