. >> a group of michelle castillo's friends have been coming every day through this long five week trial. today they are relieved that her killer will spend the rest of his life in prison. >> i know she's doing the woohoo right now looking down. >> there are no winners here. and we are grateful. >> the jury found him yesterday guilty of murdering his wife breaking into her house and violating the protective order. he beat her strangled her and hung up her body in the basement shower to make it look like a suicide. >> the jury convicted him beyond a reasonable doubt. there's a conviction here and he needs to repent and that would be our prayer for his heart and soul. hi this, gave it thought and decided that he was going to try and cover it up and make it seem like it was something that it wasn't and make it seem that it was a suicide when it clearly wasn't and to me it speaks of the cold heartedness. >> they had been going through a brutal divorce and custody hearing. >> he wanted the children. he wanted the money. he wanted the girlfriend and he wanted the house and he wasn't going to l

the four youngest castillo children are now being cared for by foster parent, two of michelle's closestends. throughout the trial the courtroom was filled with the victim's friends and many wearing orange, her favorite color and wristbands bearing the world champion. >> i think certainly we would all agree that justice was served today. i also think it's fair to say there are no winners. >> i think the most obvious tragedy is for these children who lost everything that day e most importantly their mother who loved them with reckless abandon and a love like jesus loved her that she shared with them. >> the life sentence recommendation is another step in >> michelle was a bright light as melody said and a beautiful life, and she's left a gaping hole in all of our hearts that will never be filled or picked. >> reporter: friends say it's also very painful to hear the defendant braulio castillo say over these years that his wife took her own life. when i join you on news 4 at 6:00 what they and prosecutors have to say about the defendant. >> thanks, jules. >> she says he would bankrupt merge

michelle castillo and her estranged husband were locked into a bitter divorce battle when one morning kids woke up to find her missing. her body was found in the basement hanging in a shower. prosecutors say her husband suffocated her, then put her body in the shower to make it look like a suicide. a virginia medical examiner ruled the death a homicide, but the defense lawyers turned to maryland's chief medical examiner for a different view. dr. david fowler testified he studied the autopsy photos and other evidence and came to his own conclusion. asked the defense, what is that opinion? dr. fowler, in my opinion, it is consistent with a suicide. do you have an opinion as to whether it is consistent with in my opinion, it is not consistent with a homicide. the other injuries found on michelle's body came from leaning against the tile wall, not from an assault. but the prosecution also bo bolstered its case today. the caseworker confirmed the son saw his dad in the house the night his mom died. zach castillo testified he had been sleeping in his mom's bed the night she disappeared, but

castillo claimed his estranged wife michelle committed suicide by hanging.secutors insisting he smothered her with a pillow then stage the scene to make it look like a suicide. michelle castillo had obtained a protective order against her husband,saying he was abusive . heather: a final farewell later today for that beautiful little boy killed in the alligator at disney world. lane graves's familypreparing for a private service today after a public vigil was held last night . plus, sizzling summer temperatures as the heat wave grips the southwest with the mercury set to soar into the triple digits again. is there any relief in sight? we go live to the fox weather center. >> hidden valley cucumber ranch. just one of our delicious ranch flavors. hey, honey? yes, dear? you're washing that baked-on alfredo by hand, right? (loudly) yes, dear. dish issues? cascade platinum powers through... your toughest stuck-on food... so let your dishwasher be the dishwasher. this turned out great. cascade. (mamost of the show. we missed (woman) and there's no way to restart it

michelle's. judy barnacle says it was braulio castillo's sister who phoned daughter michelle was dead. stayed with braulio's family on every visit to ashburn since. shortly after castillo was charged with his wife's murder, she wrote a letter to the court to signal her support for him. it was prosecutors who raised a question about the letter. he's never treated her badly. but the prosecutor was quick to underscore that's just what you witnessed, ma'am. the biggest moment yet in this trial could come on monday. that's when braulio castillo might take the stand in his own defense. >>> kicking off right now in alexandria, a community meeting with police about the city's third murder this year. pierre clark was shot wednesday in broad daylight on montgomery street in old town. the shooter is still on the loose. charles houston rec center. >>> there's growing concern about how many illegal apartments there are here in the district. two people killed when a fire broke out in an unlicensed apartment building in northwest. as mark segraves reports, today the city launched a program that frees

that woman said she and castillo decideto, in her words, just be friends shortly before michelle's deathtoday prosecutors aed castillo why he still called that woman 460 times when he was in jail. castillo said he wanted to share a life with her. >>> the watergate hotel tonight and there will be a ball to celebrate the renovation of one of washington's most storied properties. the building does not look much different from the outside and inside you can see the results of a renovation that took six years. it cost $125 million. a lot of the rooms have a view of the potomac river. the retro design is a nod to the '60s, but the guest room key cards acknowledge the political scandal of the '70s with the phrase "no need to break in." >>> coming up tonight, an apology in court from a man behind the violent attack. the victim's family isn't buying it. >>>it hasn't ♪ ♪ sfx:you hear that?ing up that's the sound of our summer sale firing up its engines with fares as low as 69 dollars one-way. so get ready to take off... because sale prices as low as these don't happen every day! book your l

braulio castillo is accused of killing his wife michelle back in 2014.he two were in the mle bitter divorce and custody battle. the defense says michelle took her own life, but today prosecutors told the jury she was happy and had just qualified for the boston marathon and had no reason to commit suicide. the prosecution also claimed that braulio castillo tried to smother his wife with a pillow as she slept, but stopped when he realized his young son was also in the bed. he told the boy to go to another room before allegedly committing the crime. >>> there could be a verdict next week in the trial of a police officer charged in freddie gray's death. cesar goodson was the one driving the transport van and he's the only officer charged with murder. before the defense rest, goodson chose not to take the stand. >> reporter: closing arguments will be delivered here in court monday morning. the judge in this non-jury trial is expected to deliver his verdict early next week. the baltimore riots that followed the death of freddie gray in april of 2015 were quiet

castillo. he is accused of killing his wife michelle when her body was found hanged in a basement bathroom. nvestigators say he killed her and staged the scene to make it look like a suicide. witness testimony will show testimony that mr. castillo was trying to form an alby. >> we have our prosecutors here. fred, the only thing the prosecution has to go on is circumstantial evidence. how strong is this case? >> it is a decent case. i love it when defense lawyers say it is a circumstantial evidence. they can see a animal go by and that is a direct testimony and when you look at the tracks, you can see the animal and what it was. there is good circumstantial evidence. the cadaver dog hit on the bed and the children's testimony was damming. the father asked them for the alarm codes. it is a case that the common wealth can get a conviction. >> there was no dna from him found in her house. wouldn't there have been some if it was a struggle, david? >> you would think so, according to the detectives she was affixiated by a pillow and strangled by a cord. with the struggle and mr. castillo having a

braulio castillo was found guilty of first dree murd-degre and breaking and entering. michelle's body was found in the basement of her ashburn home hanging from a shower. prosecuto castillo had suffocated his wife and then staged her death to make it looks like a suicide. we expect prosecutors to call to the stand the countple's oldest son as well as the couple now caring for the four younger castillo children. possible penalties range from a minimum of 40 years in prison to two life terms. in loudoun county, i'm julie carey, news 4. >>> happening today, a well-known rabbi is trying to appeal his 6 1/2 year sentence. berna berna bernard pleaded guilty to 52 misdemeanor counts of voyeurism. his lawyers want the sentence reduced to one year. >>> mount st. mary's university has appointed an interim president. retired brigadier general timothy trainer is coming to the school from west point. simon newman stepped down in struggling freshmen to, quote, bunnies that should be drowned. >>> d.c. police are looking for the person who shot a man in northwest. that shooting happened yesterda

prosecutors convinced the jury dna and autopsy evidence proved castillo estranged wife and staged the death to look like a suicide. michelle's friends and family cheered after the verdict. >> pleased, thrilled, just pleased for the children more than anybody and for the victim's friends and family who are here and supported us throughout the entire five weeks of the trial. >> several witnesses will be called for the sentencing hearing including the couple's oldest son. >>> also happening today, well-known rabbi is trying to overturn his voyeurism convictions. he was a rabbi for 25 years. he was convicted of secretly recording woman in a ritual bath at the national capital in georgetown. he pleaded guilty to 52 misdemeanor counts of voyeurism and sentenced to 6 1/2 years. his lawyers want it reduced to 1 year. >>> a man shot yesterday in northwest is expected to okay. the shooting happened on p meridian place. .victim is now in stable condition. police are searching for a suspect. >>> and we now know the name of the man found dead yesterday morning in northeast d.c. police say someone shot 59-year-old wayne daily multiple tim

braulio castillo is charged with murdering his estranged wife michelle. the security camera shows a man whose face cannot be seen approaching the house the night michelle was found dead. on the witness stand, the oldest son nicholas identified the man as his father. why the son is so sure the man in the video is his dad. >>> to a mysterious dropoff at an george's county. more than two dozen cats abandoned in boxes and left out in bad weather without letting shelter workers know they were even out there. >> reporter: whoever did this, whoever did this, at least they had the decency to punch some air holes into the boxes. 28 cats. 28 cats including some mama cats still nursing their babies, abandoned in these crates in the rain in greenbelt over the weekend. what's going on here? they're okay now, these little kittens and this mama cat still nursing her babies, but this could have had a whole different ending. >> luckily none of the animals were injured, but it could have been a tragic >> reporter: you see these cats, 28 of them, left abandoned in the rain

braulio castillo was found guilty of first-degree murder and breaking and entering in the death of his estranged wife miles per ho michelle. her body was found in the basement of her ashburn home hanging from a shower. prosecutors had argued braulio castillo had suffocated his wife and then staged her death to make it looks like a suicide. at the sentencing hearing, we expect prosecutors to call to the stand the couple's oldest son as well as the couple now caring for the four younger castillo children. possible penalties range from a minimum of 40 years in prison to two julie carey, news 4. >>> on thursday, a judge will decide if a baltimore police officer is guilty or innocent of murder following the death of freddie gray. closing arguments ended yesterday in the case against officer caesar goodson. goodson was driving the police van that gray broke his neck in. prosecutor satisfies say goodson failed to put a seat belt on him. the defense argues officer check order gray and he showed no signs of medical distress. >>> i'm angie goff at the live desk where i've been going through this new poll that was just released that

convinced the jury that dna and autopsy evidence proved castillo suffocated his estranged wife and staged the death to look like a suicide. michelle'sfriends and family cheered leaving the courthouse after >> relieved, thrilled, just pleased for the children more than anybody and for the victim's friends and family who were here and supported us throughout the entire five weeks of the trial. >> several witnesses will be called for the sentencing hearing including the couple's oldest son. >>> protests in front of the national rifle association's headquarters this morning. several people were arrested. around 9:20 police started rounding up demonstrators sitting in the street. they were blocking the building's entrance. this protest lasted more than 12 hours. protesters want a ban on assault rifles in the wake of the mass shooting in orlando. many protesters blame the nra for blocking gun control legislation. there were pro gun groups at the protest. they say guns aren't the problem, terrorists are. >>> a shameful display of c cowardi cowardice, that's what the white house is calling the senate failure to pass measures to ti night. de