A New Hampshire man was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Wednesday for his role in the 2015 murder of a woman found dead and burned in Massachusetts.
48-year-old Julian Squires, of New Hampshire, was found guilty on June 2 of murder and kidnapping in the death of Ashley Bortner, of New Jersey.
“The murder of Miss Bortner was particularly gruesome and cruel,” District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz said in a statement. “I am pleased that the jury saw the facts of this case and found Julian Squires guilty for his role in this heinous crime.”
On November 3, 2015, a 911 call came in reporting a fire near the MBTA Tracks. It was later determined to be the body of Bortner who was gagged by clothing, her face was wrapped by a towel and was burnt over 70% according to the DA. Also, her hands and feet were bound behind her.
50-year-old Fernando Owens is also facing charges in connection with the killing and disposal of Bortner’s body. According to the statement, Mass. State Police investigators gleaned that Squires’ co-defendant, Owens, knew Bortner and believed she played a role in his son’s murder in Suffolk County.
Owens, who is awaiting trial for murder and aggravated kidnapping, left the United States after the murder but was later captured in the Dominican Republic.
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