Nebraska man's murder conviction in woman's death upheld

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - The Nebraska Supreme Court has upheld the first-degree murder and weapons count convictions of a man serving life in prison for killing his girlfriend.

In his appeal, 67-year-old Lucio Munoz argued that a prosecutor wrongly commented in opening statements about evidence not found and that his trial attorney was so ineffective that Munoz did not get a fair trial. On Friday, the high court rejected those arguments.

Munoz was found guilty of killing 48-year-old Melissa May. Police say May's body was found in her apartment Jan. 3, 2017, after officers went to check on her. Authorities say she had been stabbed 37 times, most likely on Dec. 31, 2016.

By the time May's body was found, Munoz had already left town. He was arrested several days later in Bradley, Illinois.