"My belief is it was appropriate then, and is appropriate now. The motion to reconsider is denied," said Judge Mike Meersman.
Meersman found McVay guilty of killing Carrie Olson of Davenport earlier this year during a bench trial.
"My belief was she was killed here, put in the back of a car, in her own car, taken and dumped naked five hours away from here in a field," said Meersman.
McVay's attorneys admitted they figured the judge would not reconsider his own sentence, but said it was part of the process leading to an appeal.
"We had nothing new to present to really have the judge change his mind," said Aaron Dyer, one of three defense attorneys for McVay, who provided counsel in the case pro bono.
The appeals process could take years, but McVay will be transferred in the next few weeks to Statesville Prison where he will begin serving the 45-year term.