A San Fernando Superior Court judge sentenced a man convicted of murdering a former UCSB student to 16 years to life in prison Tuesday.

Lawrence Davila, 22, was convicted of second-degree murder after he was found guilty of the June 24, 2006, murder of 26-year-old David De A’Morelli, a UCSB environmental studies alumnus.

De A’Morelli, who was in Los Angeles visiting friends and family at the time of his death, was stabbed six times. Davila, who was arrested about a month later, claimed self-defense. It took a San Fernando Superior Court jury only one day of deliberation to decide otherwise, thus convicting Davila of second-degree murder.

While the circumstances and motives remain hazy, investigators have pieced together that Davila was leaning against De A’Morelli’s car when the victim approached. The incident eventually resulted in De A’Morelli being stabbed six times. Davila fled the scene in a friend’s pickup truck. Davila later told investigators that he was drunk and under the influence of Vicodin at the time of the murder.

Superior Court Judge Charles Preven oversaw Davila’s trial and handed him the 16 years-to-life prison sentence on Tuesday.