Monroe man sentenced to life in 14-year-old case

MONROE, NC (AP) — A Monroe man has been sentenced to life in prison after his conviction in a 14-year-old murder case.

The Charlotte Observer reports 57-year-old John Joseph Carvalho II was convicted by a Union County jury after two hours of deliberation. Carvalho had been charged with first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon.

The charges stem from the April 28, 2000, death of George Kastanis. Prosecutors said Kastanis was shot to death as he was closing the grocery store he owned.

Carvalho had been tried in the same case last October, but the trial ended with a hung jury.

The death went without an arrest for four years, but prosecutors said Carvalho implicated himself during recorded conversations with an inmate at an Anson County prison.

Carvalho was sentenced on Monday.

(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)