Stanford Glenfield Archibald was today starting a life sentence for slaying Aaron Easton - described as one of the most brutal murders in Bermuda's history.

But last night the victim's mother, Lois Easton, told The Royal Gazette she was not sureArchibald killed her only son.

"I am glad that it is over, but I am still not sure that they got the right man."

Archibald, 39, dressed smartly in a white shirt and tie, wept silently in the dock as Puisne Judge Norma Wade-Miller handed down the sentence after a five-week trial.

The Supreme Court jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict in the 18-year-old case - thought to be the first conviction in Bermuda based on DNA evidence. It took jurors five hours to reach a decision.

Emotions ran high on either side of the court yesterday as friends and family of the victim and defendant cried in relief or shock at the verdict.

Mr. Easton's sister, Alice, told The Royal Gazette: "Justice has been served. I am glad that it has all finally come to an end - I am just happy that it is over. I kept in touch with the Police throughout the trial."

In contrast, Archibald's distraught mother was led from the court precincts by family members shortly after the verdict.

Throughout the trial Archibald has maintained his innocence and his lawyer Mark Pettingill, who was helped by attorney Larry Mussenden, plans to appeal the verdict.

"We stand by our client's innocence in this case and we feel there are grounds for appeal," said Mr. Pettingill.

"We do not feel that justice has been done - we might have lost the battle, but we have not lost the war."

Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Kulandra Ratneser and Crown counsel Juan Wolffe did not comment.

Archibald, formerly of Somerset, was found guilty of killing Mr. Easton on May 4, 1985, just five days before his 19th birthday.

Mr. Easton's body was found in a pool of blood after being stabbed 49 times with a double bladed knife up to six inches long. A shattered concrete block lay at his head.

Archibald was charged with Archibald was charged with the murder after he and his wife Julie returned to the Island for a vacation with their two children in 2001. He has been on remand ever since. Before Archibald had left the Island in July, 1996, he gave blood for DNA testing in relation to the murder of Mr. Easton. In 1996, he had not long been released from prison for his part in an armed robbery at Hayward's Grocery in Warwick, where Roger Redman was killed by prosecution witness Troy Shorter.

Throughout the trial Mr. Ratneser maintained the Crown's case was based purely on DNA and circumstantial evidence and that the killing was a robbery that went horribly wrong.

Mr. Ratneser said the killing was one of the most vicious murders in Bermuda's history.

The pieces of concrete block, found at the murder scene, were tested for traces of DNA evidence at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police laboratories in 1997 and 2001. On both occasions blood reportedly belonging to that of Archibald was found. Mr. Pettingill claimed blood specimens were mixed up and that the blood found on the pieces of block did not belong to Archibald. Mr. Pettingill received many apologies from prosecution witnesses for wrong dates on blood samples and bags containing blood samples being unsealed. During closing arguments he urged the jury to look at when the blood was taken - not the DNA test. He also stated that convicted killer Troy Shorter, had blamed Archibald's now deceased brother Elroy, for letting him take the rap in the Roger Redman murder in 1986, and would do anything to get out of prison. Mr. Pettingill also argued that Archibald was the wrong height as the killer was described by the only eye witness, Robert Herd, as being bowlegged and shorter than Mr. Easton, who was 5ft 4ins.