Palmdale Woman Guilty Of Murdering Girlfriend, Attempting To Frame Victim's Boyfriend
PALMDALE (CBSLA.com) — A Palmdale woman has been found guilty of murdering her girlfriend and attempting to frame the victim's boyfriend.
A jury found Larene Eleanor Austin, 33, guilty of first-degree murder.
Austin murdered a 31-year-old woman with whom she had a romantic relationship with after meeting through Craigslist.
Deputy DA Jason Quirino said a jury also found true a special allegation that Austin used a handgun to commit the murder.
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Austin is scheduled to be sentenced in the Antelope Valley branch of the Los Angeles County Superior Court on August 26.
She faces up to 50 years to life in state prison.
According to the DA, after a brief romantic relationship with Austin, the victim -- Lanell Barsock -- broke things off with Austin to focus on her relationship with her boyfriend. On June 16, 2010, Austin fatally shot Barsock in the head, the prosecutor said.
According to court testimony, the defendant attempted to frame the victim's boyfriend for the murder. Austin later fled the country once the man was cleared by police. On January 2012, Austin was arrested in Belize after the case was featured on an episode of "America's Most Wanted," the prosecutor said.
DNA and other forensic evidence linking Austin to the murder was presented during the 21-day trial.