Dubuque, Iowa ? A man who pleaded guilty to killing two of his children and badly injuring his wife in a bloody assault has been sentenced to life in prison for the slayings.

Michael Walker, 38, a former high school tennis coach and Cub Scout leader, also was sentenced Monday to 50 years on the attempted murder charge stemming from the Feb. 17 attack on his now ex-wife, Karen Fox.

Walker pleaded guilty to first-degree murder less than two months after he was charged with killing his daughter Lindsay, 9, and son Jordan, 8.

At a packed and emotional hearing in 1st District Court in Dubuque, Walker sobbed and shuffled pictures of his children throughout. He also took the stand to give a sincere apology to his ex-wife, both families, friends and the community, attorneys said.

“He just wanted to show his family, his wife’s family and the community … that he wanted to take responsibility and not drag this thing out,” said public defender Tom Goodman. “He feels horrible about the whole incident and all the pain that he’s caused.”

Police arrested Walker shortly after he killed his children at his apartment and attacked his wife at her apartment, just a few blocks from his own.

The couple, married in 1991, were in the process of getting a divorce.

Dubuque County Atty. Fred McCaw said evidence showed Lindsay was suffocated and Jordan was strangled.

Police said Walker then walked to his wife’s apartment and stabbed her several times in the upper body and neck. She survived.

The case shocked and stunned the community. News of the children’s death stirred grief among neighbors and classmates of Walker’s children.

A community benefit concert and wine-and-cheese reception helped raise money for Karen Fox.

Walker admitted to police that he suffered from mental illness, but Goodman said two doctors concluded that Walker’s diagnosis fell short of meeting state standards for using insanity or diminished capacity as part of a trial defense.

Walker also told investigators that he planned to commit suicide after attacking his wife so the family could be together again.

Walker, who grew up in Emporia, Kan., is the brother of Emporia Gazette Publisher Christopher White Walker and son of Gazette owners Barbara and David Walker. He is a 1982 graduate of Emporia High School.

McCaw said the case was unusual because murder cases rarely wrap up so fast or involve a defendant willing to take responsibility for their actions.

“From almost the time he was arrested, I think he was really determined to get the thing over as soon as possible and accept full responsibility for it,” McCaw said.