Court upholds brothers convictions
The Massachusetts Appeals Court has upheld the involuntary manslaughter convictions of twin brothers from Ayer who beat a teenager to death after an Independence Day fireworks show.
Daniel and Peter McGuane were sentenced to five years in prison in July 2007 for the 2005 death of 19-year-old Kelly Proctor.
The brothers said on appeal that the trial judge failed to properly instruct the jury that Proctor's death could have been accidental, or that the McGuanes had acted in self defense.
The appeals court upheld the convictions, saying the judge adequately instructed the jury that prosecutors had to prove the killing was not done in self defense, or defense of another.
The court also said the judge specifically told the jury that the burden was on prosecutors to prove the victim's death was not accidental.
