Man gets life for hammer deaths of Upstate couple

ANDERSON, S.C. (AP) — A judge has sentenced a man to life in prison without parole in the killing of an Upstate couple who sold jewelry and carried around tens of thousands of dollars.

An Anderson County jury found 32-year-old Matthew Fullbright guilty of two counts of murder and other charges Friday.

Prosecutors say Fullbright lured 72-year-old Homer Staton and his 68-year-old wife JoAnn to a secluded area of Anderson County in October 2009 and beat them to death with a hammer inside their car.

Investigators say the Statons bought and sold jewelry, and sometimes carried as much as $50,000 in cash. They say Fullbright steered customers to the couple for years.

Fullbright denied signing a confession and his lawyer said there was little physical evidence linking him to the crime.