Egg Harbor City Man To Spend Life in Prison

A judge has sentenced an Egg Harbor City man to life in prison for having a woman killed to keep her from testifying against him.

Rafael Olmo was convicted earlier this year of hiring a person to kill 29-year-old Deanna Downs of Egg Harbor City. Downs had gone to police about a deadly shooting at the apartment where she lived. Downs was found dead outside her apartment in 2010.

The Press of Atlantic City reports Olmo read a statement in court in which he denied having Downs killed and said he was set-up to be a fall guy based on his reputation. The man accused of shooting Downs was cleared of being the killer but was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.