Crime

• May 13, 2008 8:59 am US/Central
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  Man Found Guilty In Backus Teen's Rape, Murder

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Man Found Guilty In Backus Teen's Rape, Murder

WALKER, Minn. (AP) ― A 20-year-old man has been found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of a 15-year-old girl.

Jurors on Monday also found Matthew Michael Martin of Pine River guilty of burglary and third-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Cass County District Judge John Smith sentenced Martin to life in prison without parole. Martin was convicted of stabbing and shooting Molly Jean Rice in August in Backus.

County Attorney Christopher Strandlie says the verdict and sentence was what he and the Rice family had hoped for, but he says the family is still grieving.

The criminal complaint says Martin and Rice met at a party August 4 and the two went inside an unlocked trailer and had sex. Martin said the two argued and he stabbed her with a knife. He then found a pistol and shot her.

(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)