TORONTO, March 31 (UPI) -- A Toronto rap musician faces at least 25 years in a Canadian prison for killing a longtime acquaintance who cooperated with police.
Lamar Skeete, 21, was convicted of the first-degree murder of Kenneth Mark late Friday, The (Toronto) Star reported. A jury deliberated for more than three days before reaching its verdict.
Prosecutors said the motive for the killing was revenge.
Mark, 30, who was shot and wounded in September 2008, identified Skeete and his brother as his attackers, although he was reluctant to testify at first.
Charges were dropped against Skeete just before he was to go on trial, and his brother was acquitted. Mark, a Walmart manager, was killed with a single shot to the back of the head 12 days after the trial ended.
Skeete faces an automatic sentence of life with no parole for at least 25 years.
Prosecutors said Skeete killed Mark or arranged the killing. A juvenile is scheduled to go on trial soon.
The defense said prosecutors did not present adequate evidence Skeete was responsible and argued he had no desire to kill Mark. The two had known each other for more than a decade.
