Peabody Man Convicted Of Fatally Shooting Girlfriend

A Peabody man charged with fatally shooting his girlfriend after she tried to end their relationship has been convicted of first-degree murder.

Franklin Castano was sentenced to a mandatory prison term of life without parole following his conviction Wednesday in Lawrence Superior Court.

Prosecutors say the 45-year-old Castano shot 23-year-old Solanlly Paulino in the head February 2014 in the apartment they shared because she wanted him to move out and end an increasingly abusive relationship.

Castano was convicted after about an hour of jury deliberations.

Castano's lawyer said the shooting was an accident.

But prosecutors pointed out that Castano told a friend about the shooting and his story about an accident did not make sense based on the evidence.