“What he was doing wasn’t the right thing,” Keyana King said of her long-time boyfriend, John Marshall, stabbed to death in a drug deal last summer, “but that doesn’t excuse what you did.”

King spoke during sentencing this morning for DAVID COPELAND (D.O.B. 2/2/79), convicted yesterday of luring the 33-year-old Marshall to a Roxbury parking lot, stabbing him in the heart, and stealing cash and crack cocaine from him as he lay dying.

Copeland “left me to raise three kids with no father,” she continued, adding that one child was just two years old when Marshall was slain.

Marshall’s mother, Susie Faggins, also lamented the man’s violent death, describing the pain she has suffered since her oldest son was killed. She showed the presiding judge the last photographs she had of her together with her son, taken on Mother’s Day last year.

“He was the oldest, and a good son. Now all I have are memories and pictures of him,” she said. “He was so sweet, so kind, so loving. He always remembered my birthday.”

Keyana King’s daughter, Queyanna, also spoke, referring to Marshall as the only father figure she had known.

“I used to be happy because I had a family at home,” she said through tears. “I try to stay strong for my family, especially my mother. My family will move on, but life will never be the same.”

Addressing the defendant, she said, “You ruined my life forever. I am left with nothing but memories … He’s gone, but never forgotten.”

A Suffolk Superior Court jury yesterday convicted Copeland of first-degree murder and armed robbery for stabbing Marshall in a parking lot near the intersection of Dale and Regent streets on July 29, 2008. Today, Superior Court Judge Frank Gaziano sentenced Copeland to the mandatory sentence for first-degree murder, life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Conley, who was present at today’s hearing, spoke of the “raw emotion” in a courtroom empty but for five members of Marshall’s family and a handful of prosecutors.

“The pain was palpable,” he said. “Whatever choices he made in life, John Marshall was a man beloved by his family and now mourned by them. It’s clear the jury’s verdict offers cold comfort, but we hope it provides some satisfaction, at least, that we found justice for him in this courtroom.”

During five full days of testimony, Assistant District Attorney Edward Krippendorf proved that Copeland and some friends spent the early part of July 29, 2008, consuming crack cocaine with friends in a Regent Street residence. When they ran out of drugs and money to buy more, the evidence showed, Copeland called Marshall.

Evidence showed that Copeland facilitated a drug deal with the victim even though he had no money. Instead, prosecutors showed, he armed himself with a knife and walked to a parking lot near the corner of Regent and Dale streets.

When Marshall arrived, Copeland stabbed him multiple times in the chest. One of those wounds penetrated Marshall’s rib cage and entered his heart. Marshall also suffered slash wounds to his palms, suggesting a futile effort to protect himself during the attack.

Copland left the scene on foot and was seen walking away by a Boston Police officer on patrol. The officer was unaware of the murder at that time but was able to relay his path of flight to additional Boston Police responding to the stabbing.

Boston Police apprehended Copeland inside the Regent Street residence, where he had just showered. Also inside the apartment was the murder weapon wrapped in a bundle of bloody clothes.

Paula Connor was the victim-witness advocate assigned to the case. Copeland was represented by attorney Michael Laurano.