Quick Facts
Biography
Christopher M. McCowen was convicted in the 2002 rape and murder of Christa Worthington, a former fashion writer whose family had lived in Truro, Massachusetts, for generations. McCowen was charged with the crimes in April, 2005, more than three years after the discovery of Worthington's body in her Truro home on January 6, 2002.
McCowen, who is Black-American, had lived on Cape Cod since about 1998 and had been a garbage collector whose regular route included Worthington's home. McCowen was charged on the basis of genetic fingerprinting and incriminating statements he made during a police interview. On November 16, 2006, he was convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated rape, and aggravated armed burglary. He was sentenced to life without parole.
In December 2010 the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court denied an appeal for a new trial.