(AP) - A New Jersey appellate court has upheld the conviction of a New York man accused of setting up the fatal shooting of his wife while they walked with one of their young sons.

The panel also upheld the life sentence imposed on Kashif Parvaiz. He was convicted of scheming with his Massachusetts girlfriend to kill his wife and make it look like a random act.

The August 2011 shooting occurred while Parvaiz and 27-year-old Nazish Noorani walked with their son in Boonton.

Antoinette Stephen pleaded guilty to murder and other offenses and testified against him. She was having an affair with Parvaiz and admitted firing the fatal shots.

The appellate panel upheld trial court decisions, including one that allowed the jury to hear evidence that Parvaiz sought out black magic and voodoo artists to put spells on his wife.