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Murder Conviction Upheld For Former Beaver Co. Councilman

BEAVER, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania Superior Court has upheld the third-degree murder conviction of a former borough councilman who killed a woman in 1979.

Monday's ruling reaffirmed 68-year-old Gregory Scott Hopkins' sentence of eight to 16 years in prison for the death of 23-year-old Catherine Walsh.

Prosecutors say Walsh was found dead in her apartment.

Hopkins admitted having an affair with Walsh, but denied having a role in her death.

Investigators were able to link DNA found at the crime scene with Hopkins' DNA retrieved from a cup he had discarded at the Bridgewater Municipal Building in 2010.

The former Bridgewater councilman was initially convicted in November 2013 in Beaver County Common Pleas Court.

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(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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