Garbage Man Convicted in Writer’s Death
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

BARNSTABLE, Mass. —A garbage man was convicted yesterday of rape and murder in the slaying of a fashion writer who was found beaten and stabbed in her Cape Cod home, her 2-year-old daughter clinging to her body.
Christopher McCowen, 34, received the automatic sentence of life in prison without parole for the 2002 killing of Christa Worthington, 46.
“Your honor, all I can say is I’m an innocent man in this case,” McCowen said after thanking the judge and court officers for showing him respect during the six-week trial.
McCowen, who worked in the small town of Truro, where Worthington lived, initially denied having any physical contact with her. But after police told him his DNA had been found on her body, Mc-Cowen said they had consensual sex and he had beaten her. But he said a friend plunged the knife through her chest.
“We put the boots to her,” McCowen said, according to police. The friend was never charged. McCowen shook his head as the verdict was read. Defense attorney Robert George reminded the jury that police had focused on Worthington’s ex-boyfriends before finally arresting McCowen nearly 3 1/2 years after the crime.