A man who strangled his girlfriend after she tried to kick him out of her Ann Arbor home last January was sentenced today to 26 to 50 years in prison.

Kwame Burrell, 31, pleaded guilty in October to second-degree murder in the death of Kisha French, 30.

Kwame Burrell

File photo

Burrell was accused of strangling French near the doorway of her home in the 100 block of Allen Street on Jan. 27. Her body was discovered after she didn't show up to get her daughter from elementary school.

Burrell initially told investigators he assaulted French during an argument, but denied killing her. They later learned Burrell had been living with French for several weeks, and she tried to kick him out before she was killed.

Prison records show Burrell served five years of a maximum 14-year sentence on fraud convictions in before his release in 2007.

Burrell was sentenced before Judge Archie Brown.