It took a jury in Lucas County Common Pleas Court just two hours Wednesday to find a Toledo man guilty of murder for stabbing his friend to death.

Terrence Singer, 54, of the 2000 block of Robinwood Avenue also was found to be a repeat violent offender by Judge Michael Goulding who sentenced Singer to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years.

Singer fatally stabbed Thomas Cauley, 56, inside Singer's Old West End apartment on March 7.

While Singer admitted to police, psychologists, and to the jury that he stabbed his friend, he testified that he and his friend had gotten into an argument and that he “felt threatened” by Mr. Cauley.

Prosecutors said Mr. Cauley had no weapon, was almost half the size of Singer, and had done nothing to provoke Singer to use deadly force. Further, they said, Singer cleaned off the butcher knife he used to stab Mr. Cauley, dragged his body into the bedroom and covered him with a sheet, and attempted to clean up the scene before leaving his apartment to smoke crack with a friend.

Michael Bahner, an assistant county prosecutor, said in his closing argument that Singer committed murder, plain and simple.

“The murderer took the stand right in front of you and admitted stabbing Thomas Cauley,” Mr. Bahner said. “He admitted that's his apartment, that's his friend, that's him dead. I don't know how much more certain we can be.”

Defense attorney Jack Viren told the jury repeatedly that Singer, who suffers from mental health issues, stabbed his friend but that did not mean he committed the offense of murder.

“He didn't intend to kill Thomas Cauley. It happened,” Mr. Viren said. “He was in his own apartment. He felt threatened, and he was trying to protect himself.”

Before sentencing, Mr. Cauley's mother, Linda Reese, tearfully told the court that her son helped take care of her and that she misses him deeply.

“I would just like to ask this man, 'Why did you kill my son?'” Mrs. Reese said.

Singer, for his part, turned to the victim's family and apologized.

“I'd just like to say to Ms. Reese, if I could take that day back, I would,” he said. “I'm truly sorry. Your son was a good person.”

“I wish you could,” she responded.

Judge Goulding said that even after hearing all of the evidence during the three-day trial, he didn't know why Singer did what he did.

“I don't know what happened in that apartment to drive you to pull the knife out and stab him twice in the chest,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Judge Goulding acquitted Singer of intimidation for allegedly sending a letter to a witness in the case in which Singer told her not to show up for court to testify. The witness testified that she received the letter but did not feel threatened.

Contact Jennifer Feehan at jfeehan@theblade.com or 419-213-2134.

First Published December 13, 2017, 9:30 p.m.