Mark Castellano sentenced to 27 years for murder of ex-girlfriend

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A jury sentenced a man to 27 years in prison for the 2012 murder of his ex-girlfriend.

Mark Augustin Castellano murdered Michelle Warner and then stuffed her body in a utility container. Castellano then dumped the mother of two in an oilfield in the Midland area.

Investigators say Castellano had originally crafted an elaborate story about how Warner just walked off. He even went on the Dr. Phil show to talk about her disappearance.

But his story began to unravel, according to detectives, then he confessed, detailing the murder to them step-by-step. He said they had an argument, during which he grabbed her around the throat, pushed her on the bed and heard her neck snap.

On Thursday, the jury quickly came back with a guilty verdict against Castellano.