Rooney Gets Life in Prison for Stoughton Murder

STOUGHTON, MA - John Rooney will spend the rest of his life in prison for the 2010 murder of Stoughton resident Georgios Kontsas.

Tuesday, Rooney was sentenced in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham to life in prison without the possibility of parole and 40 to 50 years in a state prison. The prison term is consecutive to the life term for the home invasion and assault charges in which Kontsas' wife was the named victim, according to the Norfolk County District Attorney's office.

Monday Rooney was convicted of first degree murder, two counts of home invasion, two counts of armed assault in a dwelling with intent to murder, one count of armed assault with intent to murder a person over 60, armed assault with intent to rob a person over sixty, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon against a person over 60.

The charges come from a February 2010 incident where Rooney burst into the Kontsas home and demanded money from Kontsas' wife Dorothea Kontsas. Georgios. Kontsas was killed when he came to the defense of his wife.

The case was retried after the initial trial resulted in a hung jury in 2014. The retrial began 10 weeks ago and the jury heard nine weeks of testimony.