Once a longtime employee working as a mechanic at Forklifts of Toledo Inc., Mark Langlois was handcuffed in Lucas County Common Pleas Court Friday after being convicted of aggravated murder for the workplace shooting death of his boss.

Langlois, 51, was found guilty of aggravated murder and murder, both with gun specifications, for the Jan. 27 death of James Schueler, Jr.

Mr. Schueler, 65, vice president and general manager of Forklifts, was found with a single gunshot wound to his head behind his desk at the North Byrne Road business.

Langlois faces life in prison when sentenced Wednesday.

The jury of six men and six women deliberated for just more than two hours before reaching a verdict.

"We are glad that the jury quickly and thoroughly considered all of the evidence and rendered just and correct verdicts," Assistant Prosecutor Rob Miller said of the conviction.

Mr. Schueler's family, including his wife and children, as well as employees of Forklifts, declined to comment Friday.

Fifteen witnesses testified over three days during the trial, including seven of Langlois' former colleagues at Forklifts. Also testifying were law enforcement experts in computer forensic analysis and ballistics.

In lengthy closing arguments made Friday, attorneys explained what they believed the more than 200 pieces of evidence and hours of testimony revealed. Calling Langlois a "cold-blooded, calculating murderer," Assistant County Prosecutor Michael Bahner told jurors that although Langlois had a plan, "there is no such thing as a perfect murder."

"The devil is in the details, and it is these details that, thankfully, will convict him of aggravated murder," Mr. Bahner said.

Left in Mr. Schueler's office near his body were the bullet and shell casing from the weapon used to kill him, witnesses testified. The bullet did not match the barrel from one of Langlois' several handguns, witnesses testified, but the shell casing was matched to his 9mm Glock pistol.

Two ballistic experts testified that a gun leaves a unique mark on a shell casing after it has been fired. It was this identification that "conclusively" pointed to Langlois' gun as the murder weapon, the experts testified.

Attorney Dave Klucas asked jurors during closing arguments to be wary of the ballistic evidence, saying it is a "subjective" science. He further noted that though there was speculation as to how Langlois was able to approach Mr. Schueler, no one actually saw him do it.

"What the state has to prove is that Mr. Langlois got from the very, very back of the building to the very, very front of the building without being seen by anybody … in circumstances where it is improbable, if not impossible, not to be seen," Mr. Klucas argued.

Mr. Klucas declined to comment after the verdict, saying he would defer comment until the sentencing.

Multiple pieces of evidence -- including several guns, gun parts, and ammunition seized from Langlois' home -- were shown to jurors. Although Mr. Klucas pointed out the items were "legal, legitimate, and popular," Mr. Miller noted that Langlois "knows what he's doing with guns."

Mr. Miller recounted how law enforcement witnesses testified that a barrel can be switched out of a gun "in under a minute" and asked the jury to consider whether Langlois could have altered the murder weapon, given his knowledge of and access to guns and gun parts.

"The [spent] shell casing matched [Langlois'] gun, and there is nothing to dispute that," Mr. Miller said. "… The key in this case is that the defendant, Mr. Langlois, wasn't thorough. … He made some mistakes."

Langlois will return Wednesday to court, where he will be sentenced to prison for life, possibly with eligibility for parole after 20 years, 25 years, or 30 years plus an additional three years for the gun specification. Judge Dean Mandros could sentence him to life imprisonment without parole.

Contact Erica Blake at: eblake@theblade.com or 419-213-2134.

First Published November 19, 2011, 5:23 a.m.