An Oro Valley man convicted of killing his live-in girlfriend has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Paul Beam, 36, was sentenced Wednesday in the Pima County Superior Court courtroom of Judge Clark W. Munger.
Munger ruled that Beam should spend 25 years to life in prison for the 2008 strangling death of Lisa Berrie. The judge said Beam would have to spend at least 25 calendar years in prison, with 525 days credit for the time he has been in Pima County Adult Detention Center.
Beam was convicted of first-degree murder on Nov. 25, 2009.
Beam strangled Berrie to death in August 2008 after an argument. Berrie leaves behind two children, ages 4 and 9, who were home when Beam killed their mother. A number of her family members addressed the court at Wednesday morning's sentencing.
For more on this story, read the Feb. 17 edition of The Explorer.
