A 61-year-old Longeuil woman has been sentenced to life in prison for the first-degree murder of her sister and her sister's partner in August 1979.

Claudette Verret was found guilty of having ordered the assassinations of Diane Verret, 28, and William Thériault, 34.

The jury returned its verdict Sunday following two days of deliberations.

Verret and her then-boyfriend, Normand Janelle, were arrested in March 2008 after new evidence was brought to light by Verret's former sister-in-law, who was living with her in 2008.

Marie-Perle Lapalme said Verret had told her she wanted her sister dead in order to take advantage of a $30,000 life insurance policy of which she was the primary beneficiary.

The money was never paid out.

Thériault’s daughter, Manon, was 15 and living with her grandparents when her father was killed.

She welcomed Monday’s ruling.

"Aug. 25, 1979, I was sentenced to [a] life sentence, and I … [got] parole this morning," Thériault said. "She's going to take the blame now, and she's gonna have the sentence. She's gonna be in jail for the rest of her life."

Another piece of evidence used to convict Verret was a confession she wrote to her psychiatrist.

But Verret's lawyer said the judge should not have let the jurors see the letter, and it could be grounds for an appeal.

Verret will be eligible for parole in 25 years.

Janelle will stand trial starting Nov. 23.

The Crown alleges he was the one who committed the murders.