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February 19, 2008

Update: New trial rejected in Pawtucket murder case

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

Offley is the nephew and, the jury found, the accomplice of Alonzo P. Shelton, who was found guilty last spring of murdering one woman and wounding another.

They were convicted in separate trials of shooting and wounding 28-year-old Julie Lang and shooting and killing her friend, 24-year-old Jessica Imran, after entering Imran’s Pawtucket apartment during the early morning of July 27, 2006.

A jury on Dec. 5 found Offley guilty of murder, conspiracy to murder, assault with intent to murder and discharging a firearm during an act of violence, death resulting.

Judge Robert D. Krause set Offley's sentencing for tomorrow in Providence County Superior Court.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer John Castellucci

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 11:51 AM | Permalink

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