• Lawrence Dority from Orlando, Florida was found guilty in July of second-degree murder with a firearm of Adreian Payne following a three-day trial, according to a Florida news outlet.
• Judge Greg Tynan sentenced Dority on Aug. 29 for life in prison for the murder of Payne.
What was he accused of?
• Media outlets reported Payne was outside of Dority’s Orange County townhome on Egret Shores Drive before the shooting happened in May 2022.
• Payne had been called by his girlfriend to help keep peace between a friend and Dority.
• A verbal confrontation happened between Payne and Dority, and Dority shot and killed Payne. He was arrested on May 9, 2022 on an initial charge of first-degree murder.
• Dority later told Florida authorities that the shooting was in self-defense and that he “felt threatened” from Payne’s size.
• He told authorities that he believed Payne had a gun and threatened him which is why went back into his house to get a firearm and shot him, media outlets reported.
• A witness later confirmed Payne did not threaten Dority, and officials confirmed Payne did not have a gun or any weapons following their investigation.
• Florida juries did not believe Dority’s self-defense claim, according to media reports. Dority was found guilty.
What happens next?
• Dority will serve the life sentence in prison for the murder of Payne.
• Payne was born Dayton in 1991, and graduated from Jefferson High School in 2010. He helped lead the team to a Division IV state championship as a senior.
• Payne played four seasons in the NBA (2014-18) and did 107 games over the course of his career between Atlanta, Minnesota and Orlando.
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