Christopher McCowen
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Christopher M. McCowen was convicted in the 2002 rape and murder of Christa Worthington, a former fashion writer whose family had lived in Truro, Massachusetts, for generations. McCowen was charged with the crimes in April, 2005, more than three years after the discovery of Worthington's body in her Truro home on January 6, 2002, by her ex-lover Timothy Arnold, who was allegedly returning a flashlight to her at the time he came upon the body.
McCowen had lived on Cape Cod since about 1998 and had been a waste collector whose regular route included Worthington's home. Worthington had been killed by one stab wound to the chest. McCowen was charged in 2005 on the basis of genetic fingerprinting from a sample he voluntarily provided to authorities in March, 2004, thirteen months before he was arrested. On November 16, 2006, he was convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated rape, and aggravated armed burglary. He was sentenced to life without parole.
McCowen's trial lasted five weeks, and issues of class, race, rush to judgment, bungled forensics and the existence of other suspects were raised by Boston defense lawyer Robert A. George. The trial was covered nationally by the news media and was carried on a daily basis by Court TV. The jury deliberated eight days before coming to a verdict.
In January 2008, after a motion alleging juror misconduct during the trial and deliberations, a hearing was held due to three jurors' separate allegations that racism was involved in the deliberations.[1] (McCowen is African American.)
[edit] References
- ^ Judge questions jurors about alleged bias in deliberations. Boston Globe. January 10, 2008.
delete "allegedly" He WAS returning the flsashlight. There is no allegation about it.
On June 9th,2008 McCowen was stabbed by another inmate and was sent to the hospital with "serious injurys."
