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February 20, 2008

Convicted killer set for sentencing

The judge who presided over the murder trial of Barry Offley rejected Offley's motion for a new trial yesterday and characterized the testimony Offley offered in his own defense before he was found guilty in December as "wholly unworthy of belief."

Today, Offley is set to be sentenced for murder.

Offley was convicted in December; his accomplice -- his uncle Alonzo P. Shelton -- was convicted and sentenced to 72 years last spring.

Both men were found guilty in the shooting and wounding of 28-year-old Julie Lang and the shooting death of Lang's friend, 24-year-old Jessica Imran in Imran's Pawtucket apartment in July of last year.

In September 2007, U.S. Marshals found the men in Ocala, Fla., hiding out in a windowless room.

During Offley's trial, Lang testified that Offley shot and killed Imram, then pointed the gun at her.

Shelton seized the gun from Offley and shot her four times, Lang testified, allegedly because she told the Woonsocket police that crack cocaine found in her pocketbook was Shelton's.

It took a jury just two hours to find Offley guilty.

He's set for sentencing in Superior Court, Providence today for murder, conspiracy, assault, and firearms charges.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson  at 7:02 AM | Permalink

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