BROCKTON, Mass. — A 25-year-old Brocton woman whose two previous trials ended in a hung jury was sentenced Monday to life in prison without parole for setting her home on fire while her ailing parents slept and killing them for their life insurance.
Frances Choy was sentenced shortly after a Brockton Superior Court jury convicted her of two counts of first degree murder and arson stemming from the deaths of Jimmy Choy and Anne Trinh-Choy, Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz said in a statement.
Prosecutors say then-17-year-old Choy used gasoline to torch a home she shared with her parents in the early morning hours of April 17, 2003.
Her 16-year-old nephew, Kenneth Choy, was accused of helping in the plot in exchange for a share of the expected life insurance money. He was acquitted in 2008.
Investigators testified during Kenneth Choy’s trial that told them his aunt was upset that her parents wouldn’t let her see her boyfriend or move away for college.
Firefighters rescued Frances and Kenneth Choy from their bedroom windows unharmed. But the fire victims died in hospital from smoke inhalation and severe burns.
Frances Choy’s two previous trials ended in a hung jury after jurors indicated they were unable to reach a verdict.