N.H. Man Admits Killing Parents, Sentenced To 60 Years To Life

MANCHESTER, N.H. (CBS/AP) — The 40-year-old man who killed his parents and burned down their house before fleeing to Florida pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to 60 years to life in state prison.

Matthew Dion entered the guilty plea Thursday to second-degree murder for killing 71-year-old Robert Dion and 67-year-old Constance Dion, and to arson.

The Dion family home after the explosion, March 24, 2014. (Photo credit: Karen Twomey-WBZ NewsRadio 1030)

Prosecutors say he beat his parents and strangled them with a wire in their Manchester home in March 2014, then set the house on fire several days later.

Related: Court Docs: Manchester, NH Couple Strangled Five Days Before House Explosion

He fled to Florida and was captured in June of this year at a hotel in Orange Park, Florida.

Dion's fiancee Pamela Focosi addressed the court at his sentencing.

"When someone you love and respect unconditionally can do such a terrible and disgusting crime, you have to quickly learn to hate that person," Focosi said. "That was a process not only I had to go through, but also our family."

"Our feelings were mangled for months and I was living on an emotional landmine," she said.

TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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