By Mackenzie Nichols
A jury declared Timothy Kostka guilty of first-degree murder and home invasion Friday in the death of 67-year-old a South Boston woman. Kotska, 30, faces a life sentence for the murder of Barbara Coyne, whom he beat, stabbed, and robbed for heroin money in April 2012.
After three days of deliberations, the jury revealed their verdict to a packed courtroom, and both the Kostka and Coyne families left in tears. Coyne’s relatives embraced one another and shared congratulations while the Kotska family quickly vacated the courtroom, according to reports from inside the courtroom.
As Barbara Coyne’s son, Richard Coyne, left Suffolk Superior Court, he smiled and was thankful for the hard work of both the police and District Attorney, the Boston Herald reports.
“They did an outstanding job, from day one,” Coyne told the Herald.
Despite defense attorney William Gens’ efforts to question the validity of the stolen lottery tickets, the physical evidence found at the scene was enough to result in a conviction.
“Given the facts of this case, first-degree murder was the only appropriate verdict,” District Attorney Daniel Conley said in a press release. “Barbara Coyne was an innocent victim, and the man who killed her deserves nothing less than life in prison.”
Under Massachusetts law, Kostka faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole for the first-degree murder charge. A judge will formally sentence him in Suffolk Superior Court on Wednesday morning.
