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Conviction Upheld In 1997 Killing Of Iowa Teen

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota Court of Appeals is affirming the conviction and sentence of a man found guilty of ordering the kidnapping and killing of an Iowa teen.

The appeals court ruled Monday that the Minnesota conviction of Juan Humberto Castillo-Alvarez does not violate his right to be free from double jeopardy.

Prosecutors said Castillo-Alvarez ordered the kidnapping and murder of 15-year-old Gregory "Sky" Erickson in 1997 over a drug debt.

Castillo-Alvarez was convicted in Iowa, but that conviction was reversed because he did not get a speedy trial. He was then prosecuted in Minnesota, where he was convicted and got 44 years in prison.

His attorneys argued Minnesota prosecutors violated his right to be free from double jeopardy because they prosecuted him for the same offense. But the appeals court disagreed.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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