Michigan man convicted in 2016 hammer slaying of wife

PORT HURON, Mich. -- A Michigan man accused of killing his wife with a hammer has been convicted of murder.

The Times Herald of Port Huron reports a St. Clair County jury Tuesday found 39-year-old Douglas Ball Jr. of Port Huron guilty of first-degree murder and torture in the August death of 30-year-old Lydia Ball.

He faces life in prison without parole when sentenced June 1.

Jennifer Deegan, St. Clair County senior assistant prosecutor, displayed an 8-pound hammer during her closing argument. She noted that Lydia Ball was struck 14 times in the head and said the verdict brings “some justice.”

Defense lawyer Edward Marshall told the jury that investigators had focused on Douglas Ball “like a laser beam” and had ignored or overlooked evidence that might have pointed to another suspect.