A judge found Larry Doil Sanders guilty of murder
A man who claimed he killed his friend because he believed the victim was summoning Bigfoot was convicted of murder.
Larry Doil Sanders was found guilty by an Oklahoma judge April 17, according to reports from The Oklahoman, The Ada News and KXII.
Jimmy Knighten was strangled to death in July 2022 while out fishing with Sanders, the outlets reported. After waiving a right to a jury trial, Sanders’ attorney reportedly claimed that his client had acted in self-defense.
The Oklahoman reported that Sanders claimed during testimony that while out noodling with Knighten, he had seen three sasquatch-looking figures by the river.
Witnesses for the prosecution testified that Sanders had said he believed Knighten was trying to kill him and send his body down the river as a sacrifice to Bigfoot, reported The Oklahoman.
The paper reported that a forensic psychiatrist testified that Sanders was suffering from methamphetamine-induced psychosis and believed he was defending himself.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Knighten died following a fight, during which Sanders put him in a chokehold, KXII reported.
The outlets report that Sanders faces up to life in prison without parole.
“Jimmy truly enjoyed anything and everything outdoors,” Knighten’s obituary reads. “He loved to fish, hunt game, ride four-wheelers, and most of all drink his beer around a big bonfire. Jimmy never met a stranger, and would give anyone the shirt off his back.”
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.
Source Agencies