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Virginia businessman gets life in prison in wife’s death

LEESBURG, Va. (AP) — A northern Virginia businessman convicted of murder in his estranged wife’s 2014 death has been sentenced to life in prison plus 16 years.

Media outlets report a Loudoun County Circuit Court judge handed down the sentence Friday to former IT executive Braulio Castillo of Ashburn. A jury found Castillo guilty in June of first-degree murder and other charges in the death of 43-year-old Michelle Castillo. Prosecutors alleged he suffocated her then staged her death to make it appear to be a suicide.

The couple had five children and were in the middle of a divorce and custody battle at the time.

The Washington Post reports Castillo maintains his innocence and did not speak or show emotion during the Friday sentencing. According to WRC-TV, he plans to appeal the sentence.

Loudoun Co. unpaved roads make Va.’s endangered historic places list

Many people don't realize Loudoun County, Virginia, has 300 miles of unpaved roads until their car's navigation system takes them from a busy commuter route onto an unexpected gravel road. Preservation Virginia — a privately-funded, statewide historical preservation group — has added Loudoun County's rural road network to its "2020 Virginia's Most Endangered Historic Places" list.
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