ELKO, Nev. - The teen charged with murdering a 16-year-old girl in West Wendover, Nev., was sentenced to life without parole.
Police say 19-year-old Kody Patten and his fiance, 19-year-old Toni Fratto, took 16-year-old Micaela Costanzo, Patten's ex-girlfriend, to a remote area near the Utah-Nevada border after school and murdered her before leaving her body in a shallow grave.
The exact circumstances of Costanzo's death are unknown since Fratto and Patten have different accounts of what happened.
Patten pleaded guilty to first degree murder in early May and was sentenced on Friday to life in prison without the possibility of parole. His attorney says Patten made the plea agreement to avoid a possible death sentence.
Fratto also pleaded guilty to second degree felony murder in exchange for her testimony against Patten. She was sentenced to life in prison, but could be up for parole in ten years.
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