Palmdale woman sentenced for killing ex-girlfriend, framing victim's boyfriend

ByABC7.com Staff KABC logo
Thursday, August 27, 2015
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A Palmdale woman was sentenced to prison on Wednesday for killing an ex-girlfriend and trying to frame the victim's boyfriend, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

Larene Eleanor Austin, 33, received two consecutive 25-year-to-life prison terms for shooting 31-year-old Lanell Barsock.

Austin had a brief romantic relationship with the victim before shooting her in the head following a breakup in June, when Barsock decided to return to her boyfriend.

According to trial evidence, Austin attempted to frame the man for the killing, even giving police a forged letter in which the victim purportedly broke up with the boyfriend.

Austin fled the country once officials cleared the man and was arrested in Belize in January 2012, the prosecutor said.

A jury in August found Austin guilty of first-degree murder.

She had met Barsock through Craigslist.