The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday that a 46-year-old defendant was found guilty of murdering his elderly pen pal in Hollywood last year.

Jurors deliberated for approximately three hours on Oct. 20 before finding Scott Kratlian guilty of first-degree murder. Kratlian and victim Harry Major, 82, a former Hollywood High School teacher, became pen pals while the defendant was serving a sentence for manslaughter in a New York prison. Upon his release from prison, Kratlian came to Los Angeles and lived with Major for a short period of time prior to the murder, according to prosecutor Tony Cho.

On Feb. 10, 2014, Kratlian murdered Major at the victim’s condominium in the 1400 block of North Vista Street. Evidence presented at trial showed that Major’s blood was found on Kratlian’s shoes. The defendant faces up to 56 years to life in state prison when he is sentenced on Nov. 18.