Man Sentenced to 56 Years for Killing His Girlfriend in Reseda

By City News Service

A 23-year-old man convicted of murdering his live-in girlfriend in their Reseda apartment was sentenced Tuesday to 56 years to life in state prison.

Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Joseph Brandolino denied the defense's motion for a new trial for James Howard Jr., who was convicted Sept. 25 of first-degree murder for the February 2012 killing of Sharilit Matthews.

The woman's family and friends contacted police after not being able to contact the 41-year-old woman for about a week.

Officers found Matthews, who had suffered an injury to her neck, in her bed. She had been dead for about eight days.

Along with the murder charge, jurors found true an allegation that Howard had used a sharp weapon in the commission of the crime. No weapon was found at the scene.

Howard had been living with the woman since August 2011, after he was released from state prison in connection with a robbery conviction, according to Deputy District Attorney Sharon Ransom.

Authorities believe the woman may have been asking Howard to leave.