HOUSTON -- A woman who admitted to stabbing her husband to death was sent to a mental hospital instead of prison on Wednesday, KPRC Local 2 reported.

Kristen Elaine DeWald, 39, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

DeWald stabbed James L. DeWald, 33, numerous times as he slept on Sept. 7 at about 1:20 a.m. in their apartment in the 11800 block of City Park Central.

James DeWald's father was upset at the sentence and said he does not feel justice was served for his son. He said he did not believe that Kristen DeWald was insane.

"It's not justice. It's not moral. This young lady did commit a very heinous murder. She didn't shoot him from 30 feet away or something like that. This was up close and personal with a large butcher knife," said James DeWald, the victim's father. "She's just as normal as anyone can be."

He said the two appeared to be happily married.

"To the best of our knowledge, they were getting along fine. There was no other woman. There was no fighting amongst them. She professed and professed how much she loved him, and what a great guy he was," he said.

Kristen DeWald was charged with murder. She will be transported to a maximum-security facility and evaluated. She's expected to remain in a mental hospital for the rest of her life.

Her attorney, George Parnham, said it is a shame that a person has to go through the court system to get mental help.

"This is a tragic event caused by a mentally ill individual," Parnham said. "That will never take away from the hurt that this family feels."

Court officials said if she is ever released, she would be closely monitored.

James L. DeWald was a professor at the University of Houston in the physics department.

Prosecutors said Kristen DeWald attacked her husband once before with scissors.