Maine court upholds conviction in 2007 murder

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - The state supreme court on Tuesday upheld the conviction of a 61-year-old Bangor man for the murder and sexual assault of a Bangor woman in 2007.

Ashton Moores was convicted in a jury-waived trial last November in the death of 43-year-old Christina Simonin. In his appeal, Moores argued that the evidence was largely circumstantial and insufficient to convict him.

Moores was convicted of killing Simonin in the apartment they shared, hauling her body away in a borrowed wheelbarrow and dumping the body behind an apartment building, where it was found on March 3, 2007.

In a unanimous decision, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the evidence was sufficient for the judge to find Moores guilty of both crimes. Moores was sentenced to life in prison on the murder conviction and 20 years for sexual assault.