JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - A Jacksonville man has been convicted of first-degree murder in his former landlady's strangling death.
    
Despite defense arguments for a lesser charge, Duval County jurors found 40-year-old Alexander Patton guilty Thursday of first-degree murder, meaning he'll face a mandatory life sentence at a hearing next month.
    
Authorities say Patton tied two electrical cords and a weed-trimmer line around 61-year-old Paula Milam's neck in August 2011. The Florida Times-Union (http://bit.ly/MfSAzc ) reports that Patton was arrested for driving under the influence following a crash on Interstate 95 the day of the killing. Some of Milam's prescriptions were found in Patton's vehicle, and Milam's blood was found on Patton's clothes.
    
Patton's attorney acknowledged that his client killed Milam but argued Patton's drug use prevented him from having the rational thought required for premeditation.
    
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Information from: The Florida Times-Union, http://www.jacksonville.com

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