A Brevard County jury convicted CHRISTOPHER J. KANE of second-degree murder for bludgeoning Joshua J. Elzas with a crowbar and then shooting him inside a Melbourne house in 2020.

KANE, 30, now faces life in prison following an eight-day trial presented by Assistant State Attorneys Samantha Barrett and Christine Babb.  The jury returned its verdict Feb. 4 after about 4-1/2 hours of deliberation.

Witnesses and evidence showed KANE entered the house on the 1000 block of Garfield Street on April 28, 2020, engaged in a struggle with Elzas, 28, and shot him after beating him severely. Neither Kane nor Elzas lived at the home. Elzas was discovered hours later by other occupants of the address. He was deceased with extensive injuries and surrounded by blood, an arrest warrant says.

The countywide Brevard County Sheriff’s Game Over Task Force located and arrested KANE about a week later.

“We’re grateful for the jury for doing their job and following the law,” ASA Barrett said of the verdict. “We’re grateful that Josh Elzas’ family can finally have justice.”

Circuit Judge Charles Crawford scheduled KANE’s sentencing for March 27.