Overview
- Church, 67, was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without parole after a jury convicted her of first-degree murder for the 2022 poisoning of Leroy Fowler.
- Investigators determined Fowler died of ethylene glycol poisoning, and testing found antifreeze residue in a Powerade bottle along with Church’s DNA.
- Jurors saw photos and a video from Church’s phone that showed Fowler in visible distress as she asked, “Are you having fun,” and they heard that she waited before calling 911.
- Prosecutors argued jealousy over Fowler’s relationship with another woman as the motive and showed a photo of a handmade “voodoo doll,” while the defense disputed guilt and said the couple planned a move to Florida.
- Church’s attorneys say they will appeal, and Massachusetts law requires a life-without-parole sentence for a first-degree murder conviction.