PORTLAND (AP) – Maine’s highest court Monday upheld the conviction and 62-year prison sentence of a Standish insurance agent for murdering a client in order to collect on a $100,000 policy he sold her.

In a unanimous ruling, the justices rejected the appeal of Santanu “Sam” Basu, 37, in the March 6, 2002, shooting death of Azita Jamshab of Westbrook, a 29-year-old Iranian immigrant whose body was found near a gravel pit in Cumberland.

According to trial testimony, Basu sold Jamshab the $100,000 policy that named him as the primary beneficiary. Jamshab, who had been through a divorce, had told a co-worker on the day of the slaying that she planned a “date” that night with Basu.

Basu had argued that the trial judge erred in denying defense motions to suppress physical evidence and statements he made to detectives and that there was insufficient evidence to support a conviction.

The Supreme Judicial Court disagreed, brushing aside Basu’s contention that one of the search warrants was invalid because it lacked the issuing judge’s signature.

The trial court found that the issuing judge had intended to sign the warrant. The law court noted that the state and federal constitutions require that a warrant be “issued” but do not specifically require that it be signed.

The justices agreed that the sentence, which was more than double the 25-year minimum for murder, was not out of line for a premeditated killing committed for pecuniary gain. The court further noted that while Basu had no significant criminal record and held a steady job, he failed to accept responsibility or show remorse for the murder and had falsely tried to pin the crime on someone else.

The court found a defect in the sentencing order that called on Basu to pay $3,542.61 for Jamshab’s funeral but did not specify the time and method of payment. The justices sent the case back to the lower court to correct the deficiency.