SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) - A Massachusetts man convicted of killing a National Guardsman from Connecticut shortly before he was deployed overseas faces sentencing.
Michael Rodriguez, of Holyoke, faces life in prison with the possibility of parole in 15 years when he’s sentenced Wednesday for fatally shooting Julian Cartie in February 2009 in Springfield.
The 32-year-old Rodriguez was convicted last week of second-degree murder.
The sentencing hearing will give members of Cartie’s family a chance to deliver victim impact statements.
Cartie, a former high school football star in New Britain, Connecticut, had been enjoying a night out with his brother and a friend before his deployment when he got into a confrontation with Rodriguez.
Rodriguez’s lawyer said the shooting was self-defense.
The killing remained unsolved until a tip led to Rodriguez’s arrest in 2014.
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Information from: The Springfield (Mass.) Republican, https://www.masslive.com/news/
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