WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) - A Massachusetts man was convicted Tuesday of killing a woman who wanted to hire him to kill or injure her ex-boyfriend.
Donovan Goparian, 42, of Worcester, was found guilty by a Worcester Superior Court jury of first-degree murder in the November 2015 death of Marie Martin, according to a statement from District Attorney Joseph Early Jr.’s office.
The Webster woman was shot in the head and her body was burned inside her car, authorities said.
Martin, 35, arranged to meet Goparian to hire him to kill or seriously injure her ex-boyfriend, according to trial testimony. Martin and her former boyfriend were involved in a custody battle involving their 5-year-old daughter, authorities said.
One witness at trial said Goparian wanted to have sex with Martin.
Goparian’s former girlfriend took the stand as a prosecution witnesses and testified that she was present when Goparian set Martin’s car on fire. She did not know a body was in the vehicle.
Goparian’s lawyer said during his closing statements that police did not conduct a thorough investigation into Martin’s death and that many of the prosecution witnesses lied.
Goparian faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole at sentencing scheduled for March 6.
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