A Jim Thorpe family can now begin to heal because a Kenyan security guard, standing trial for killing their daughter in Qatar in 2012, has been found guilty of murder.

According to Doha News in Qatar, the guilty verdict in the trial of Alvine Moseti Anyona was read this morning in Qatar court. Qatar is seven hours ahead of Pennsylvania.The judge overseeing the trial sentenced Anyona to serve a life sentence, which in Qatar is typically 15 to 20 years, followed by immediate deportation.Anyona, whose name had not been released to the media up until this point, faced the murder charge after he was arrested and charged with killing Jennifer Brown, 40, of Jim Thorpe, in her apartment in Qatar in November 2012.Brown moved to Qatar in September 2012 after taking a teaching position at the Al Wakra Campus of English Modern School.Jennifer's father, Robert Brown, said this morning he didn't wish to comment at this time, but noted that he was not aware that a verdict had been announced.Anyona was arrested a few days after Jennifer's body was found and eventually confessed to the slaying, leading police to the murder weapon, but Doha News reporters said a close friend of Anyona's said after the verdict that his confession was coerced and that he would be appealing the verdict.The trial, which started in 2013, had been a long-running case in Qatar court, having been delayed seven times for lawyers quitting, scheduling confusion and a number of key witnesses failing to report to testify.Anyona previously faced the death penalty in the case, but in January, the Browns showed mercy when asked how they felt he should be sentenced.Qatar court typically takes the victim's family's feelings into consideration when deciding how to sentence a person convicted of a crime.The Browns signed paperwork in January asking the court for life in prison, rather than death.