Teen Convicted in Thrill Slaying

A 15-year-old boy was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison today for beating a classmate to death with a baseball bat so he could see what it was like to kill someone.

Rod Matthews, who was tried as an adult, showed no reaction when the verdict was announced and his sentence immediately imposed. The verdict followed nearly 10 hours of deliberation over two days. The mother of the victim, 14-year-old Shaun Ouillette, sobbed as the verdict was announced, and Matthews’ mother sat silently with lowered head. The teen-ager could be paroled in 15 years.