MIAMI, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- An 18-year-old was not insane when he fatally stabbed 14-year-old Jaime Gough at a school in Palmetto Bay, Fla., a jury has ruled.
Jurors convicted Michael Hernandez of first-degree murder in the 2004 killing at Southwood Middle School, rejecting defense attorneys' claims their client was not in his right mind at the time of the killing, The Miami Herald said Thursday.
Jorge Gough praised Wednesday's ruling against his son's killer, saying it finally brings some peace to his troubled family.
''He's just evil, not insane,'' Gough said. "For four years we have been waiting for this verdict. It's been very painful. But there's justice.''
Detectives said while interrogating Hernandez, the teenager said he stabbed Gough in a school bathroom simply because he knew his classmate would follow him into the room.
Hernandez has also been convicted of attempting to kill another classmate who refused to enter a handicapped stall with him, the Herald said.
The newspaper said Hernandez now faces a mandatory life sentence for the murder conviction and his sentencing has been scheduled for Nov. 7.
