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Man gets life in prison for shoestring strangling

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Photo via the Orlando Sentinel

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – A central Florida man has been sentenced to life in prison for strangling another man he spotted with his girlfriend.

The Orlando Sentinel (https://goo.gl/8sVdif ) reports that Jose Antonio Torres was sentenced Friday. He was previously convicted of murder, kidnapping and robbery.

Authorities say Torres killed 58-year-old James Watrous in May after spotting Watrous at an Orlando-area restaurant with Torres’ girlfriend, Jennifer Smedley. An arrest report says Torres strangled Watrous with a shoestring while Smedley drove them around in the Watrous’ pickup. The body was found in a wooded area several days later.

Smedley was sentenced to four years on Friday after pleading guilty to manslaughter last month as part of deal with prosecutors.

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