Man convicted of killing estranged wife in 1986

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (FOX 25, myfoxboston) - After more than two decades of remaining unsolved, the murder case of a young woman from 1986 has been closed.

An Acushnet man has been found guilty of murdering his estranged wife, Marni Larkin Roy in a jealous rage.

Robert Roy was automatically sentenced to life in prison without parole after a jury convicted him of first degree murder on Thursday.

The trial began on Feb. 4. The jury had been deliberating since Monday.

Prosecutors said Roy killed his wife in 1986 while the 19-year-old was walking her dog. Her body was found in a Dartmouth quarry in 1990. The 46-year-old Roy was arrested in 2007.

Evidence showed that Roy lured his estranged wife into a field where he killed her.

Witnesses for the prosecution testified that Roy told them he'd killed his wife and thrown her into a "bottomless pit" because he was jealous she was dating other men.

Defense attorney Jack Atwood argued the witnesses weren't credible, saying several wanted their "15 minutes of fame."

"As always, I would like to begin by expressing my deepest sympathy to Marni Larkin's family for this senseless killing," District Attorney Sam Sutter said. "At last, after 25 years, they have received a measure of justice they deserved.”