Teen gets life in killing of woman who took him in

McCONNELSVILLE, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio man who recently turned 18 has been sentenced to life in prison for the fatal baseball bat beating of a woman who had taken him into her family.

Travis Fischer will be eligible for parole after 30 years under Thursday’s sentence from a judge in southeast Ohio’s Morgan County.

Fischer had pleaded guilty earlier this month to charges including aggravated murder, rape and arson. Prosecutors said he attacked 35-year-old Abi Matthews with the bat and raped her at her home in the community of Malta, then stole her car and burned it.

In court, Matthews’ family members shared their grief and bewilderment over her death in June. The defendant didn’t speak, though his attorney told the judge Fischer feels remorse and wants to atone.