A Roxbury man was sentenced to life in prison today, just an hour and a half after a jury found that he stabbed 64-year-old Richard Stroman 20 times, killing him, in 2007, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury found LARRY NELSON (D.O.B. 1/5/58) guilty of first-degree murder for Stroman’s homicide in his own Elm Hill Avenue apartment on the afternoon of Oct. 7, 2007. Judge Judith Fabricant sentenced him to the mandatory term for that offense, life in prison without the possibility of parole.

“The punishment is entirely appropriate to the facts of this case, which are remarkably brutal,” Fabricant said.

Jurors heard about four days of testimony and deliberated for about one full day before returning their verdict late this morning. Although testimony established that Nelson stabbed Stroman, cut himself at the scene, and stole certain items from the victim’s apartment, it did not establish motive.

“We may never know why he committed this awful act,” Conley said. “In truth, only the defendant knows for sure.”

Stroman’s niece, Katrina Rawles, addressed the court prior to sentencing to express her family’s loss.

“The defendant took a very loving person from us,” she said. “[Stroman] is not going to get a chance to see his grandchildren, nieces, and nephews grow up. I’m glad that justice has been served.”

Jennifer Stott was the victim-witness advocate assigned by the DA to work with Stroman’s family. John Palmer represented the defendant.