After more than five hours of deliberation Friday, a Warren County jury found David Wayne Welch guilty of murder in the shooting death of Cetric Ladell Griffin.

Circuit Judge Frank Vollor sentenced Welch, 40, to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

The verdict was delivered at 4:50 p.m., about 80 minutes after Vollor ordered jurors to reach a consensus. The jury, made up of 10 men and two women, initially failed to agree on a charge of manslaughter, murder or acquittal.

Welch, 40, showed no emotion as the verdict was handed down. During the three-day trial, he often talked with family members during breaks, smiling and shaking hands.

Assistant District Attorney Mike Bonner said two families have been devastated by Griffin’s death.

&#8220This is difficult on both families,” he said after the trial. &#8220The damage goes beyond the victim’s family and the defendant’s family. The neighbors were forced to testify against (Welch), and it’s devastating for all of them.”

Defense attorneys John McNeal and Chris Ganner of Jackson argued Welch killed Griffin, 24, 116 Signal Hill Drive, in self-defense after the victim pointed a loaded 20-gauge sawed-off shotgun at him in his bedroom on the morning of April 21, 2006.

The gun went off during a struggle, the attorneys said, hitting Griffin in the right chest. Welch, fearing for his life, reloaded the gun and fired a shot into the right side of Welch’s head, they said.

But witnesses for the prosecution, including sheriff’s investigator Randy Lewis and forensic pathologist Dr. Steven Hayne, testified the evidence did not show Welch killed Griffin in self-defense. Instead, it showed Welch planned to shoot him.

&#8220He meant to kill him,” Bonner said during closing arguments Friday. &#8220He wanted him dead. Ladies and gentlemen, it could not have happened the way he said it did.”

That’s because Welch &#8220had a huge mess in his house,” Bonner said. &#8220There was blood everywhere. He knew there was no way he could clean all that up.”

Griffin’s body was found near the back side of the Welch’s home and his gold Mazda 626 was parked on the same side of the trailer. Blood, the state’s witnesses said, was found in the car, on the ground and in the master bedroom. Drag marks were also made through blood in the trailer.

Welch told jurors Thursday Griffin was an &#8220intruder” because he had entered his house April 20 or April 21 &#8220without permission” and that he was standing in his bedroom with the 20-gauge shotgun pointed at him. He said he was scared of going to prison and that all he could think about was needing &#8220to get rid of him.”

But it wasn’t until Welch realized he wasn’t going to get away with murder that he called 911 and gave five different statements to a dispatcher, sheriff’s deputy and sheriff’s investigator.

&#8220When he knew there was no way he was going to clean all that up, he called 911 and began to lie,” Bonner said.

Ganner said during closing arguments Welch contradicted himself and moved Griffin’s body around his house because he panicked.

&#8220David Welch had been forced to kill a man,” Ganner said. &#8220You’ve got to understand what true panic does. It seizes you. It consumes you – panic like that. (The prosecution) wants you to think that David is a cold assassin who lured Cetric Griffin.”

A witness for the prosecution, Bobby Miller, testified Thursday that he, Welch and Griffin &#8220partied together.”

The defense said Friday the prosecution had never established a motive in the killing, and called into question Griffin’s character.

&#8220He didn’t have a motive; it was self-defense,” Ganner said. &#8220(Griffin) was what he was. He carried a street name. I think we all know the truth about Cetric Griffin. If you play with fire, you’re going to get burned.”

After the verdict was read, Griffin’s uncle, Clarence Griffin, said the defense was demonizing his relative.

&#8220The people of Vicksburg are going to think my nephew did what (Welch) said, and the state proved he didn’t do those things,” he said. &#8220This is the worst victory we have ever experienced. But I didn’t get anything. I can’t bring my nephew back.”

Bonner said life sentences are automatically appealed.