VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WVEC) -- A man convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend was sentenced to life in prison on Monday.
On Friday a jury convicted Joseph Merlino of killing 35-year-old Ellie Tran with a needle filled with cyanide on Valentine's Day back in 2017. Jurors reached the verdict after 90 minutes of deliberations.
On Monday, they returned to court where after 15 minutes of deliberation, they on a sentence of life in prison without parole and a $100,000 fine.
More coverage of the Joseph Merlino Trial:
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