SALEM, Mass. (Court TV) — A Massachusetts woman was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, but has pledged to appeal her murder conviction.
Judy Church sits next to her attorney during sentencing on April 2, 2026. (Court TV)
Judy Church, 67, was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Leroy Fowler, 55, who died on Nov. 13, 2022, after ingesting antifreeze. Church pleaded not guilty and maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings. At the time of Fowler’s death, he was living with Church, his girlfriend.
Prosecutor Andrew Camelio read a statement at Thursday’s sentencing hearing, written by Fowler’s second girlfriend, Barbara Randall. Randall testified at Church’s trial, where she described the defendant’s animosity over having to share Fowler’s affections.
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“What we had together may not have been a conventional love story, but it was ours,” Randall’s statement said. “When Judy Church took Leroy’s life, she didn’t just take him from me; she took him away from his children and grandchildren and my grandchildren who looked at him as their own…She didn’t just take his life; she made him suffer. Leroy’s final days were filled with confusion, pain and fear. He was left struggling, not understanding what was happening to his own body, fighting for his life as it was slowly being taken from him. No one deserves to suffer like that.”
Judge James Lang echoed Randall’s sentiments as he handed down the sentence, noting that Church had “callously and heartlessly videotaped Mr. Fowler’s suffering.” Cellphone videos played during the trial showed Fowler struggling on the floor and unable to speak as Church asked him, “You having fun?”
Under Massachusetts law, Church faced a set sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. She elected not to speak at her sentencing hearing. Church’s attorney, speaking on her behalf, said he had advised her not to speak as they were already working to pursue an appeal of her conviction.
