ALLENTOWN, Pa.—An eastern Pennsylvania man has vowed an appeal as he was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole in the shooting death of the boyfriend of his girlfriend's mother.

Thirty-two-year-old Jose Cruz Jr. of Whitehall Township was also sentenced Wednesday in Lehigh County Court to an additional 27 to 54 years on other counts.

Cruz was convicted last month in the June 2011 shooting death of 45-year-old Edwin Jimenez-Gonzalez of Allentown. He said he had been drinking heavily, thought his girlfriend was cheating on him, went to her mother's house and ended up shooting the victim.

According to testimony Wednesday, Cruz was also convicted of manslaughter as a teenager; prosecutors declined to discuss the case.

Cruz said he would appeal and added "I'm extremely confident I'll be back."