Christopher McCowen
Encyclopedia
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.
McCowen, who is African American, had lived on Cape Cod
since about 1998 and had been a garbage collector
whose regular route included Worthington's home. McCowen was charged on the basis of genetic fingerprinting
and incriminating statements he made during a police interview. On November 16, 2006, he was convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated
rape, and aggravated armed burglary
. He was sentenced to life without parole
.
In December 2010 the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court denied an appeal for a new trial.
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
and murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
of Christa Worthington
Christa Worthington
Christa Worthington was a United States fashion writer who worked for Women's Wear Daily, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper's Bazaar, and the New York Times...
, a former fashion writer whose family had lived in Truro, Massachusetts
Truro, Massachusetts
Truro is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States, comprising two villages: Truro and North Truro. Located two hours outside Boston, it is a summer vacation community just south of the northern tip of Cape Cod, in an area known as the "Outer Cape"...
, 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.
McCowen, who is African American, had lived on Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
since about 1998 and had been a garbage collector
Waste collector
A waste collector is a person employed by a public or private enterprise to collect and remove refuse and recyclables from residential, commercial, industrial or other collection site for further processing and disposal...
whose regular route included Worthington's home. McCowen was charged on the basis of genetic fingerprinting
Genetic fingerprinting
DNA profiling is a technique employed by forensic scientists to assist in the identification of individuals by their respective DNA profiles. DNA profiles are encrypted sets of numbers that reflect a person's DNA makeup, which can also be used as the person's identifier...
and incriminating statements he made during a police interview. On November 16, 2006, he was convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated
Aggravation (legal concept)
Aggravation, in law, is "any circumstance attending the commission of a crime or tort which increases its guilt or enormity or adds to its injurious consequences, but which is above and beyond the essential constituents of the crime or tort itself."...
rape, and aggravated armed burglary
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
. He was sentenced to life without parole
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
.
In December 2010 the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court denied an appeal for a new trial.