Philippines ? A Philippine court convicted 14 Muslim militants Thursday and sentenced them to life in prison for abducting a U.S. missionary couple and 18 others in a 2001 kidnapping spree that left one of the missionaries and another American dead.

Americans Gracia and Martin Burnham of Rose Hill, Kan., missionaries for the Florida-based New Tribes Mission, were celebrating their 18th wedding anniversary when they were snatched by the Abu Sayyaf at the upscale Dos Palmas resort on Palawan island on May 27, 2001, and taken by speedboat to southern Basilan island.

Fellow American Guillermo Sobero and 17 Filipinos also were kidnapped. Sobero, from Corona, Calif., was among several hostages beheaded by the rebels. Martin Burnham and a Filipino nurse were killed during a military rescue raid on June 7, 2002.

The other hostages were released or managed to escape.