A Tallahassee man was found guilty of first-degree felony murder and armed robbery in a 2021 killing at a southside apartment complex, prosecutors said.

Leon County jurors on April 17 convicted Michael LaGrane, who now faces a mandatory life sentence under Florida law. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

The panel reached its verdict after deliberating for about eight hours at the end of a three-day trial before Circuit Judge Jonathan Sjostrom.

Here’s what happened, according to a news release from prosecutors: Relatives grew alarmed on New Year’s Day 2021 when the victim, who typically called to wish family members a happy new year, failed to reach out.

A niece went to his apartment on Lake Avenue but, worried about his health and fearing the worst, waited for his daughter to arrive before going inside. The daughter entered and found Lawrence Williams dead from what authorities later described as an “obvious, violent attack.”

Emergency medical personnel pronounced Williams dead at the scene, and Tallahassee police processed the apartment as a homicide after discovering multiple stab wounds and missing belongings. Detectives soon focused on LaGrane after learning he was the last person known to have been with Williams alive and he had visited the Lake Avenue apartment on New Year’s Eve.

Investigators searching LaGrane’s home reported finding a watch belonging to Williams and clothing with apparent bloodstains. Forensic testing by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement later showed the victim’s blood on a jacket and a pair of sneakers seized from the residence.

LaGrane took the stand and acknowledged the watch was Williams’, but said he had been given it to “fix a problem.” He testified that he left the apartment before midnight on New Year’s Eve and returned later only to find the door open and Williams already dead.

Assistant State Attorney Rachel Jankowski prosecuted and Tallahassee attorney Robert “Alex” Morris represented LaGrane.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee man convicted of 2021 murder, robbery