A military police officer from Missouri pleaded guilty to killing a woman and her unborn child to protect his career.

Prosecutors say Phillip C. Parish of Moline Acres shot and killed 20-year-old Tabitha Buckingham in May 2011 because she was pregnant with his child, and he believed the child’s birth would ruin his military career.

Buckingham’s body was found in her home nearly three days after she was shot. Her 2-year-old daughter was dehydrated and asleep beside her.

Her unborn child of four months did not survive.

Parish was on leave from Afghanistan when he shot Buckingham. He returned to that country the day after the shooting.

Parish pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree murder as part of a plea deal.