Lawrenceville man sent to prison in Valdosta State murder case

VALDOSTA, Ga. (AP) The man accused of killing a Valdosta State University freshman in 2012 has been sentenced to life in prison.

The Valdosta Daily Times reports that 19-year-old Darien Jospeh Meheux Jr. was given the life prison term following his conviction on Friday.

Meheux is the former boyfriend of 17-year-old Jasmine Benjamin of Lawrenceville. She was found dead in a campus study room in November 2012. Authorities said the cause of death was asphyxiation.

Assistant District Attorney Brad Shealy said his office is happy with the verdict and that Assistant District Attorney Tracy Chapman did "an excellent job" laying out the facts of the case.

Meheux and Benjamin graduated from Central Gwinnett High School together and enrolled at Valdosta State University together in the fall of 2012.