By Associated Press - Thursday, May 15, 2014

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - A western New York man who raped a 13-year-old girl before stabbing her to death and setting her body on fire last year has been sentenced to 39 years to life in prison.

Local media report that a state Supreme Court justice imposed the maximum sentence on Darshawn Morris on Wednesday for the Sept. 1 murder of Lanasha (lah-NAY’-shuh) Rollerson.

Prosecutors say Morris raped the teen after a party at his East Side apartment. He then stabbed her more than 60 times and set her body on fire. Lanasha’s body was found two days later in a garage.

In March, a jury found Morris guilty of murder and rape.

Police say the teen had attended the party without her family’s knowledge.

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