William Sandeson guilty of second-degree murder, Halifax jury finds | Globalnews.ca

A former Halifax medical student has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting death of a fellow student during a drug deal.

William Sandeson told a Nova Scotia Supreme Court jury he killed physics student Taylor Samson in self-defence on Aug. 15, 2015, but the jury rejected that claim.

Jury members deliberated for 23 hours, beginning Thursday, before delivering their verdict at a Halifax-area courthouse.

The six-week trial marked the second time Sandeson was tried for the crime.

He was convicted of first-degree murder in 2017, but the verdict was overturned on appeal and a new trial was ordered in 2020.

Those convicted of second-degree murder face an automatic life sentence, but the presiding judge can set parole eligibility at between 10 and 25 years.