ORANGE COUNTY, Fl. (WILX) – The man convicted of killing Michigan State University basketball star Adreian Payne has been sentenced to life in prison.
Lawrence Dority, 31, was charged with fatally shooting Payne in Florida in 2022.
After a lengthy legal battle, Dority was found guilty of second degree murder by a jury on July 30, 2025.
Dority was sentenced to life in prison on Friday, Aug. 29.
Dority was charged with killing Payne in May 2022. The defendant initially told investigators that Payne shot at him, and that he shot back in self-defense.
Officials later confirmed Payne did not have a gun when he was shot.
Man sentenced to life in prison for killing MSU basketball star(WILX)
Police initially arrested Dority on a first degree murder charge, but the charge was later downgraded to second degree murder.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Former Spartan star Adreian Payne remembered for his impact on and off the court
Payne is MSU’s career leader in blocks, and one of nine players in MSU history with 1,200 career points and 700 career rebounds.
Payne played four seasons for the Spartans and head coach Tom Izzo. He was a first-round pick for the Atlanta Hawks in the 2014 NBA Draft.
After the draft, Payne played the NBA, including with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Orlando Magic, and the NBA’s G-League before playing abroad in Greece and China.
Former Spartan star Adreian Payne remembered for his impact on and off the court
Payne was also known for his bond with Lacey Holsworth, an eight-year-old girl with terminal cancer and MSU basketball superfan. Lacey passed away in 2014.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: In My View: Adreian Payne will be remembered for his relationship with Lacey Holsworth
His official MSU biography contains an extensive list of accolades, including placing in the top 15 in Big Ten statistics in multiple categories such as defensive rebounds, three-point field-goal average, scoring, free-throw percentage and blocks.
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